Next James Bond Odds: Rege-Jean Page Favourite To Land The Role
The dust may have only just settled from the cinematic release of No Time to Die, but speculation surrounding Daniel Craig’s replacement as iconic British spy James Bond is beginning to intensify.
The best betting sites are offering some interesting odds on who will assume the mantle of being the next James Bond from the Knives Out star and – by extension – become the seventh incarnation of 007 on the silver screen.
Who Has Played James Bond?
It was 60 years ago this October that the late Sean Connery enjoyed his first outing as the character in Dr No.
After former model George Lazenby briefly stepped into the breach for 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, the Edinburgh native donned his tuxedo for the sixth and final time – excluding unofficial Bond entry Never Say Never Again – in Guy Hamilton’s Diamonds Are Forever.
Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Ireland’s Pierce Brosnan also made multiple appearances in the role before Craig first took on spy duties in 2006’s Casino Royale.
Known up to that point for roles in Layer Cake, Munich and Road To Perdition, Craig won over many doubters with his gritty portrayal of Bond in his formative years with MI6 and after making an additional four appearances in the series, it is clear that he has left his successor with a tough act to follow.
There has been considerable discourse around the kind of person that Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson will want in the role.
But, who will be the next James Bond you ask? Well, there is a favourite in the market among UK bookmakers at the moment.
Who Is Favourite To Be The Next James Bond?
The current male lead in Netflix period drama Bridgeton, Rege-Jean Page is rated at 11/4 with Ladbrokes to take over from Craig.
If he was to do so, he would become the first actor of mixed race (his mother hails from Zimbabwe and he spent part of his childhood in the country’s capital city of Harare) to play Bond.
He recently received great reviews for his performance in the Amazon original drama Sylvie’s Love and is set to put his big budget chops to the test in The Gray Man and Dungeons & Dragons.
He may not be regarded as an A-list star just yet, but the same was true for virtually everyone who has played Bond in the past.
Tom Hardy And James Norton Are Viable Candidates For Bond Role
In stark contrast, Tom Hardy is a household name thanks to his work in The Dark Knight Rises, The Revenant and Mad Max: Fury Road. He certainly has the acting credentials for the role and is more than capable of showcasing the same gritty realism that helped make Craig such an enduring success.
Valued at 5/1 on specials betting sites, his candidacy is certainly worthy of consideration.
Currently to be found on TV in Happy Valley and McMafia, James Norton is another who is high up in the next James Bond odds. He has also appeared in a number of films, having made his big-screen debut with a bit-part in Lone Scherfig’s 2009 drama An Education.
He marginally trails Hardy in the minds of the best bookmakers though, as they have him at 6/1 in the reckoning.
Idris Elba Remains In The Hunt
Despite his insistence in the past that he is too old to take on the role (he turns 50 in September), Idris Elba hasn’t been ruled out of the Bond equation and he would certainly have the full support of a passionate fanbase behind him.
Born in London to a Sierra Leone father and a Ghanian mother, Elba has consistently excelled across film and television. He was acclaimed for his stellar performance in the BBC One series Luther – a chief inspector in the Metropolitan Police Service who constantly arouses suspicion amongst his superiors and is forced to deal with personal demons on a near-daily basis.
Many feel he has the qualities necessary for a modern-day Bond and Coral are currently giving odds of 6/1 on him getting the part. Nonetheless, his age could prove to be something of an obstacle if Broccoli and Wilson are seeking to tie someone down for a multi-picture deal.
Second Time Lucky For Henry Cavill?
If reports are to be believed, current Superman star Henry Cavill was agonisingly close to being picked ahead of Craig for Casino Royale, which would have made him the youngest-ever Bond at just 23 years of age.
Of those who are high up in the running, he is the one who can point to past experience in the spy genre as an indication of what he could bring to the role.
Under the direction of Guy Ritchie, Cavill portrayed Napoleon Solo in 2015’s The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and – having replaced him as Solo in pre-production – starred opposite Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible – Fallout three years later.
With a lead role in the fantasy drama series The Witcher thrown into the mix, there is no denying that Cavill has star credentials.
The producers may have their eye on someone who is more of an unknown quantity, but this hasn’t stopped new betting sites valuing him at 5/1.
The low odds being offered for Page and Elba shows that there is an appetite for a more radical casting approach on this occasion though, and it will be interesting to see if the franchise wants to head in this direction.
Henry Golding And Lashana Lynch Viewed As Long Shots
British-Malaysian actor Henry Golding would also fit this bill, though odds of 25/1 are the best you can garner for the Last Christmas star at the moment.
The idea of a female James Bond is regarded as a non-runner by Broccoli, but Lashana Lynch is nonetheless rated at 14/1 with 888sport.
Her character Nomi assumed 007 status in the absence of Craig’s Bond at the start of No Time to Die, though – given how the film itself ended – it is probably unlikely that any of the actors who featured the last time out will be returning in the next edition of the series.