Next James Bond Odds: Idris Elba And Rege-Jean Page Amongst The Favourites
It is almost a year since No Time To Die was released in cinemas around the world, but the identity of Daniel Craig’s replacement in the iconic role of British spy James Bond continues to be an intriguing mystery.
Betting sites are giving their take on who will fill the void left by the departure of Craig, who was the sixth man to play 007 on the silver screen.
Who Has Played James Bond?
It will be 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 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, that is where things become interesting on specials betting sites.
Who Is Favourite To Be The Next James Bond?
As equally prolific on the small screen as he is on the big one, Idris Elba is the current favourite amongst UK bookmakers to take over as Bond.
Paddy Power are offering odds of 4/1 on Elba being chosen to take the franchise forward.
The son of parents from Sierra Leone and Ghana, Elba was born and raised in London and drew considerable praise in recent years for his barnstorming performance in the BBC One series Luther.
Playing the titular part of John Luther, Elba showcased many of the characteristics that are seen as ideal for a modern-day Bond.
While he would be a popular choice, it would also be a radical step on the behalf of Broccoli and Wilson to choose a black actor as James Bond for the first time.
Yet, there are a couple of key factors that will most likely prevent Elba from securing the Bond mantle.
Having repeatedly stated in the past that he is too old to take on the role – he will turn 50 next month – Elba himself isn’t actively courting the Bond part and has reportedly put himself out of the running in spite of his status as the bookies’ favourites.
A Youthful James Bond Appears To Be On The Cards
It has also been suggested that the aforementioned duo of Broccoli and Wilson will be looking for someone in their 30s as Craig’s successor.
This is with a view to tying down the next incumbent for a multiple picture deal rather than selecting someone for a singular endeavour.
After all, Craig was 38 when he made his Bond debut in Casino Royale, and he went on to enjoy incredible longevity in the part.
Equally, Connery had just turned 32 when Dr No (the first entry in the Bond saga) was released in 1962 and Lazenby was even younger at 30 for his sole performance as 007.
Pierce Brosnan may have been 42 when he revitalised the character in 1995’s Goldeneye, but the Irish actor had been the choice for Bond almost a decade earlier before an issue with his Remington Steele contract prevented him from taking up the offer of a lifetime.
41-year-old Welsh star Timothy Dalton was selected instead, having been linked with the role on several occasions in the past.
With all the signs pointing towards a fresh-faced recruit for the next Bond adventure, it is second favourite Rege-Jean Page who perhaps has the best chance of making the grade.
The current male lead in Netflix period drama Bridgeton, Page is currently rated at 9/2 with Ladbrokes to take over the famous suit.
If he was to be the choice of Broccoli and Wilson, 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 can currently be seen in the role of Carmichael in The Gray Man, which was released one week apart in cinemas and on Netflix.
Though genuine A-list stars like Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans took much of the limelight in this film, it was a good opportunity for Page to showcase his talents.
Second Time Lucky For Henry Cavill?
Had Henry Cavill beaten Craig to the role for Casino Royale (he was reportedly under serious consideration), it would have made him the youngest-ever Bond at just 23 years of age.
16 years have passed, but Cavill still just about fulfils the apparent age criteria that the franchise’s producers are looking to apply.
Superman is inarguably the most iconic part he has taken on, but he has also transitioned into the spy genre on a number of occasions and shown himself to be a dab hand when it comes to espionage.
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.
His elevated status within the film industry may count against him if the producers’ sights are set on a less obvious choice, but the odds of 9/1 with Betfair suggest Cavill isn’t being forgotten in the race to play Bond.
Turner And Bell Other Options For Bond
Of course, betting apps are always likely to take notice of those who have already made waves in either television and film.
Amongst those who tick these particular boxes – and are currently in their 30s – are Aidan Turner and Jamie Bell.
A native of Dublin, Turner was the leading man in BBC’s Poldark for five seasons and also took on the supporting role of Kíli in The Hobbit trilogy.
He is best known for his work on the small screen outside of the latter, but is valued at 11/1 with 888sport to take a big leap forward in his film career and become the seventh actor to play James Bond.
At 36 years of age and with 27 films already under his belt, Jamie Bell possesses both youth and the requisite acting chops that are needed for a role like James Bond.
He is regarded as an outside bet with most bookmakers offering odds of between 16/1 and 25/1 (with Unibet), though that could change as speculation continues to mount in the weeks and months to come.