Top Contenders in Next James Bond Betting: Who Could Be the Perfect Agent 007?

12 Actors That Could be the Next James Bond

You can view the following James Bond contenders in the betting odds above, in this section we look in more detail at some of the top actors mooted for the role. 

Let's take a closer look at each of the contenders for the Next James Bond in more detail

1. Harris Dickinson

Entering the betting with Star Sports Next James Bond betting markets in August 2023, Harris Dickinson, born on June 24, 1996, is an acclaimed English actor. Known for his impressive performances, he gained recognition for his role in the drama film "Beach Rats" (2017), earning a nomination for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead

Montclair Film Festival, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

2. Tom Hopper

Shot into the betting market in late October 2021 was Tom Hooper, he most recently featured alongside another James Bond possible Sam Heughan in SAS: Red Notice. 

The 37-year-old from Coalville in Leicestershire is the most unfamiliar name at the head of the betting, but Daniel Craig was hardly a household name when he was cast in 2005. 

Tom Hopper has come from relative obscurity to be bookmaker favourite for the James Bond role. 

 Tom Hopper
Photo: Jaguar PS / Shutterstock.com
 

3. Tom Hardy

The London-born actor is arguably the biggest name touted as the next James Bond. 

The 45-year-old has been a regular on TV and Cinema screens starring in a host of blockbusters including the Revenant and The Dark Knight Rises. 

Tom Hardy would bring a dangerous edge if cast as the next James Bond. 

4. Richard Madden

Like many, the fantasy drama Game of Thrones was the tipping point for Scottish actor Madden, since playing Robb Stark his career has gone from strength to strength.

Most recently we have seen him in the Marvel Comics blockbuster Eternals.  

Richard Madden after the positive reviews came in for Eternals was heavily backed in the next James Bond betting odds.

5. Rege Jean Page

Came to most people's attention after playing the Duke Of Hastings in the Netflix period drama Bridgerton. 

Like a previous James Bond Roger Moore, he has taken on the role of The Saint which is likely to be on our screens in 2022. 

The timing of that casting for Rege could make the shooting of the next Bond film complicated were he to be offered the Bond gig. 

Rege Jean-Page has had a meteoric rise that could culminate in securing the James Bond role. 

 Rege Jean Page
Photo: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

6. Lashana Lynch

The first female candidate in the next James Bond betting is the current 007, Nomi from No Time To Die. 

Her being cast in the last Daniel Craig outing  alerted punters that she could seamlessly be the new "James Bond"

Lashana Lynch is perfectly placed to be the next actor to take on the iconic role. 

 Lashana Lynch
Photo: Featureflash Photo Agency / Shutterstock.com

7. James Norton

The 37-year-old English actor was the original  favourite with the bookies, 

Norton is best known for his work on TV, starring in shows like McMafia, Granchester and Happy Valley. 

Norton played the infamous Stephen Ward in The Trial Of Christine Keeler for the BBC

8. Sam Heughan

The Scot Sam Heughan has been playing Jamie Frazer in the drama Outlander since 2014.

The multi-talented actor has also written and produced his own award-winning brand of Whisky. 

Highland warrior Heughan is another Scotsman supported in the next James Bond market

9. Henry Cavill

Played Superman in a string of Superhero films in the last decade, since then he has appeared in the Man From Uncle and Mission Impossible.

The 39-year-old has publicly expressed an interest in playing James Bond, and it was reported that he auditioned for Bond at the same time as Daniel Craig. 

The Jersey-born actor has already auditioned for James Bond

10. Jamie Bell

Rose to prominence when just 13 playing Billy Elliott. 

Since that early breakthrough, Bell has appeared in over 25 movies with the best known probably The Adventures Of Tin Tin. 

Most recently Jamie Bell starred alongside Taron Egerton in Rocketman

11. Idris Elba

The London-born actor has the presence to play the next James Bond 

We know he likes speed and fast cars after his No Limits series for the Discovery channel. 

In Summer 2022 Elba can be seen in the survival thriller Beast. 

Idris Elba would be a popular choice to be the next James Bond

12. Tom Hiddleston

The name Tom Hiddleston must be one of the most linked names to the role of James Bond over the past couple of years.

The Scottish-born actor seems to fit the role, tall, dark and handsome. 

After making mischief as Loki could Hiddlestone do the same as Bond.

13. Clive Standen

Born in Northern Ireland but another James Bond contender who grew up in Leicestershire (Tom Hopper as well) the 41-year-old has acted in a host of BBC productions including Doctor Who, Camelot and Vikings.

He was most recently seen in the Liam Neeson role in Taken for NBC Television. 

Image: Eugene Powers / Shutterstock.com

14. Michael Fassbender

He said he thinks the James Bond role should go to someone younger but the bookies who have him in their betting market obviously think he would be ideal as the suave spy. 

He has twice been nominated for Academy Awards for his roles in 12 Years a Slave and Steve Jobs, both times missing out on the statue. 

15. Aaron Taylor Johnson

The High Wycombe born actor has featured in a host of well-received movies including the Nowhere Boy where he played John Lennon and  Nocturnal Animals written and directed by fashion designer Tom Ford. 

His latest project is the title role in the Marvel superhero movie Kraven the Hunter.

Image: shutterstock

16. Damson Idris

Damson Idris is a British actor, born on September 2, 1991. He gained prominence for his lead role as Franklin Saint in the crime drama series "Snowfall," which debuted in 2017. Idris has garnered critical acclaim for his portrayal of a young drug dealer navigating the crack cocaine epidemic in 1980s Los Angeles. Along with his success on television, he has also appeared in films such as "Farming" (2018), "Outside the Wire" (2021), and "The Harder They Fall" (2021), showcasing his versatility as an actor. Damson Idris continues to make a name for himself in the industry with his compelling performances.

By Celebrity Myxer, LLC. - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=125122582

Betting on the Next James Bond (How to and Possible Markets)

Did you know it was possible to make a bet on who will be the next actor to play James Bond in the film series?

Most major bookmakers are offering betting odds on which actor, or actress even, will play the character next, after Daniel Craig's departure. 

So let's take a look at the type of bets you are likely to find when considering who will be the next James Bond 007

Next James Bond Betting Markets

The most popular betting market available for this would be to predict the next actor, or even actress, that could take on the role of James Bond next. 

A list of potential actors will be provided and odds on their chances will be supplied respectively, from those most likely to get the job, to those who might be rumoured to be interested, or have been approached, right through to bookmakers offering big odds on some rather far fetched ideas of who could step into 007's shoes.

There may be some more diverse and strange markets available from time to time too, so markets may look like this

Betting sites can be quite creative when coming up with markets for these betting specials and may even open a market if they have enough requests from customers for a market they hadn't already considered.

Both the leading bookmakers and betting exchanges have James Bond odds, prices vary between different firms as do who they have as the James Bond favourite. 

It is advisable that you shop around amongst the best betting sites when you are ready to place a bet on the contender you favour. 

How to Bet on the Next James Bond

There is nothing complicated about betting on the next James Bond, it is a betting market like a list of horses for the Grand National, although it will have more options than betting on a football or tennis match.

You simply need to go to your favourite betting app and head to the TV & Specials section in the menu, select Next James Bond Betting. 

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Betting Apps | Best UK Sports Betting Apps

If you do not have an active online betting account, then head over to our betting sites section where you will see a list of bookmakers available in the UK, where have in depth reviews so you can see what other users think of them before deciding, or head over to the free bets page where you can see the list of welcome offers currently available from all UK betting sites.

Here you will see the option to look at the list of actors being offered as options to bet on.

• All you need do, is click on your selection.
• This will open up the betslip, at which point you will see confirmation of the betting odds being offered
• Now you choose your stake - most betting sites will show you how much you can expect to have returned if your prediction is correct.
• If you are happy, simple hit, PLACE BET, to confirm your selection, stake, and bet.
• You will be given a receipt for your bet and it will appear in your open bets in your account details.
• Then it's just a matter of waiting to see who is finally chosen

Betting on the Next James Bond on a Betting Exchange

The beauty of betting exchanges in long-term markets such as the next James Bond is that you can back or lay an actor depending on the latest piece of news. 

It is a bit like the Cash Out function often used with football accumulators but a more manual process. Indeed, some bookmakers may be offering cash out options on next James bond betting

You can read more about how betting exchanges work in our extensive betting exchange guide. 

Next James Bond Betting News Diary Timeline

The betting odds for The Next James Bond are always on the move as one rumour on who could step into the role, proceeds the next. It would seem every week, a new name is put forward, or an actor leaves a role and bets are placed on them becoming the New James Bond.

Here is a round-up of the Next James Bond Betting News from our OLBG News feed. 

9th April 2025

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Next James Bond Betting Odds: Theo James back into favourite to be the next Bond with market changing once again!

25th March 2025

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Next James Bond Betting Odds: Henry Cavill Now Favourite To Be Next James Bond After Odds Slashed By bet365

21st March 2025

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Theo James Strengthens Hold as Favourite to Be Next James Bond

27th February 2025

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James Bond Betting Specials: Odds given on the next James Bond plus specials around the character’s future with Amazon!

11th February 2025

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Next James Bond Betting Odds: Theo James moves into favourite with 40% CHANCE he will be the next Bond!

2nd December 2024

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Next James Bond Betting Odds: NEW FAVOURITE in market as Gladiator star Paul Mescal moves to the TOP of the odds!

Things to Consider when Betting on the Next James Bond

There are many things to consider when making any bet on any event. This section will guide you to thing that may be pertinent to take into consideration when making your selection.

The Ideal Profile

Producer Albert Broccoli once said that Bond should be played between 35 and 40 years old. This was evident when he met with Timothy Dalton to discuss the possibility of playing bond early in his career when in his mid-twenties but Broccoli said he was too young at the time.

If you look at the last three actors to play Bond, there were only four years between them when they first appeared on screen as 007. Dalton was 41, Brosnan 42 and Craig 38. Prior to that, there was quite some difference with Connery 32, Lazenby 30 and then Moore 46.

There certainly seems to have been a swing towards the older actors with Craig at 38 being the youngest of the last four so will the produces be looking at those in their late thirties / early forties?

Another thing we could look at is where they came from in terms of their acting career. Sean Connery was more TV than movies featuring in the likes of TV series An Age of Kings and ITV Play of the Week. 

Roger Moore was very much a TV man too, as already mentioned he starred in the hit TV series The Saint and The Persuaders.

Timothy Dalton before getting his role as Bond was also more TV than movies, starring in shows like Sins, Jane Eyre and Mistral’s Daughter.

Pierce Brosnan was more of a Movie actor. He did a few TV movies as well as the likes of Mrs Doubtfire.

Daniel Craig started off in tv series but when it came to Bond he was already very much on the movie scene starring in movies like Layer Cake and Munich. So the last two were more movie actors before taking up the role which was different from those before them.

Previous Bond Nationalities and Place of Birth

Of course, the place of birth is not going to be enough to land the role, but we have had both English and Scottish actors playing Bond in the past. I don't think we need to look outside the British Isles, but who knows.

Can we find any James Bond betting clues from the leading contenders and former 007's place of birth? Here are the current contender's place of birth information

What Have Public Polls on the Next James Bond had to Say?

As you can imagine interest is growing in the next James Bond with the release of the 25th 007 movie No Time To Die. 

The public opinion organisation YouGov asked a series of questions to the British Public on James Bond, you can see whether you agree or disagree below. 

Would it be acceptable for the character to be female?

31% of respondents thought it would be acceptable for the character to be female, 53% thought it would be unacceptable. 

This poll result is in line with our own OLBG.com poll. 

Who do Brits want as the Next James Bond? 

It was a battle of the Tom's when asked who should be the next Bond - Hardy (27%) was the most popular, but Hiddlestone (16%) polled well and was the only other potential 007 in double figures.

Is the character sexist or has he changed his womanizing ways?

37% thought that the character has always been a sexist one.

22% thought the character was once sexist but has changed his ways

11% thought the character has never been sexist at all.  

Previous James Bond Actors and Profiles

So, who was the first actor to portray James Bond? Sean Connery, right? In fact, he was not the first, he was not actually the second either!

On the 21st of October in 1954 as part of the Climax Mystery Theater television series, Barry Nelson played the role of James Bond in an hour-long version of Casino Royale on CBS! 

Two years later, Bob Holness of Blockbusters fame is credited as being the second person to portray James Bond. This time not on TV or in the movie theatres but on South African Radio! In a live broadcast, Holness played James Bond in an adaptation of Moonraker!

The average age of the last 6 James Bonds when they took up the role was just over 38 years old. 

The average age of the last 6 James Bond when they finished the role was nearly 45 years old. 

1. Sean Connery

Sean Connery was the first James Bond actor in a proper feature-length movie when taking up the role in the 1962 movie 'Dr. No' at the age of 32. Connery went on to feature in the next three films, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball.

The 1967 release of 'Casino Royale' was a role in which Connery turned down but he returned later in the year when starring in You Only Live Twice but would that be the end of Connery as Bond?

He did not feature in the next film in the franchise (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) but production wanted him back and it was an 'at any cost' move to bring back Connery as Bond. He agreed to a deal worth £1.25m to return as Bond in Diamonds Are Forever in 1971, in today's money, that is a deal worth around £27m!

Twelve years after starring in Diamonds Are Forever, Connery returned as Agent 007 to portray Bond in the 1983 film Never Say Never Again which was the last time he appeared as James Bond.

In total Sean Connery starred in six movies as James Bond over a span of nine years which brought in an approximate $632m at the box office.

2. David Niven

David Niven’s career as 007 was a short-lived one but interestingly it could have been completely different as it is rumoured that Niven was actually Ian Fleming’s first choice for the Bond role prior to Connery being signed up.

By the time this film came around, Niven wasn’t the first choice anymore, the role was actually offered to both Sean Connery and Peter Sellers who both turned it down. David Niven was fifty-six years old when he played the character in the ‘Casino Royale’ film.

This wasn’t your typical bond movie in it was more of a prequel to Dr. No where Niven played an elderly Bond who was coming to the end of his career and would be passing the torch on to the next 007 agent which would, in theory, be Connery.

In terms of money, the movie was somewhat of a flop compared to other Bond movies, it’s reported that production costs were around $12m, more than any of the movies Connery starred in and only brought in $41m at the box office, the lowest-grossing Bond movie.

3. George Lazenby

The next man to play Bond was Australian George Lazenby in what would be his first major casting as an Actor having been spotted in an advertisement. Unfortunately, Lazenby is labelled by many as the worst Bond of all-time.

The thirty-year-old starred in the 1969 movie, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and actually left the role before the film was actually released and during filming never actually signed a contract because of a breakdown in negotiations.

Despite the film coming in for a lot of criticism for bringing in an unknown actor lacking any experience, the film still produced $82m at the box office when production costs were only around $8m.

George Lazenby continued his acting career and is still to this day performing roles in movies.

4. Roger Moore

The creators seemed to scrape their idea of bringing in an inexperienced actor after Lazenby and turned to forty-six-year-old Roger Moore. Moore was already a big name having starred in the TV hit series The Saint and The Persuaders and was actually considered for On Her Majesty’s Secret Service but at the time was unavailable.

Moore’s first film in a run which saw him become the actor to star in the most films as James Bond was Live and Let Die in 1973, a movie which became the most successful at the box office when released with it bringing in $161m worldwide from a production budget of just $7m.

The Man with the Golden Gun which was released a year later in 1974 but did not have the same effect as his first film, it only achieved $97m at the box office, some $64m less than Live and Let Die, however, things got a lot better for Moore.

After a break of three years with no Bond movies, The Spy Who Loved Me was released in 1977, the long-awaited movie saw the production budget doubled from $7m to $14m which resulted in the biggest return at the box office with $185m.

Moore appeared in his fourth Bond movie in 1979 when Moonraker was released and it smashed it again at the box office, beating the previous best with a return of $210m, the highest-grossing Bond movie of all-time at the time.

He then went on to appear in three more Bond movies taking his total to seven, those were For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) and A View To Kill (1985). Over his seven movies, they saw a box office gross of $1.1bn!

5. Timothy Dalton

After Roger Moore retired in 1985 the search was on for a new Bond and there were three names considered, Sam Neill who was the directors first choice for the role, Pierce Brosnan and Timothy Dalton.

It turned out that producer Broccoli was not too keen on Sam Neill and with Pierce Brosnan being contracted on a TV show the decision was to offer forty-one-year-old Timothy Dalton the role as the new Bond.

The first Bond movie to feature Dalton as 007 was the 1987 release, The Living Daylights, with a production budget of $40m, the film grossed $191m at the box office, that was only the third highest-grossing Bond film at the time despite the large budget.

Dalton returned to our screens as Bond in 1989 in Licence to Kill, this movie had an even bigger budget of $42k but did not hit expectations grossing just $156m at the box office and only the eighth best-grossing Bond movie.

There was somewhat a lack of connection between the viewers and Dalton role as Bond and because of this, the decision was made to make a switch, therefore, ending Dalton reign as Agent 007.

6. Pierce Brosnan

Moving into the '90s, we had no Bond, there had been 5 years without a movie and then in 1994, the team behind the movies went back to an actor they had looked at before but was unavailable at the time, Pierce Brosnan.

The forty-two-year-old's first appearance as Bond came in the 1995 release, Goldeneye, a film which grossed over $356m at the box office! The success of that movie put him in a position where he could ask for anything, with a salary of $4m for Goldeneye, that jumped to $8.2m for his second movie, Tomorrow Never Dies.

Despite grossing $339m at the box office, the production budget was $50m more than Goldeneye. The team were keen to keep hold of Brosnan as Bond which saw his salary rise to $12.4m for the 1999 release, The World is Not Enough and then $16.5m for the 2002 hit, Die Another Day.

The World is Not Enough grossed $361m and Die Another Day grossed $431m meaning in just four films featuring Brosnan the total gross was $1.4bn.

Brosnan wasn't finished here, or at least that is what he thought, he wanted to feature in a fifth film as Bond in a movie planned to be released in 2004 however, negotiations broke down and Brosnan left the role of Bond.

7. Daniel Craig

And then there was Daniel Craig! Craig said once he read the script for what would be his first film as Bond (Casino Royale) that he loved it and he wanted to tell the story as Bond. There were many critics to the selection of the new bond, fans threatening to boycott the movie because Craig did not fit the image of Bond. 

The thirty-eight-year-old was on a relatively low salary of just $3.4m (Brosnan's last film was a $16.5m salary), Craig took his place as Bond for Casino Royale. Released in 2006 with a production budget lower than the previous three Bond releases, the movie smashed it a the box office grossing a total of $594m.

Craig's performance in the film won over a lot of those who doubted him from Bond fans to the press and this led to him being retained for the next movie in the James Bond franchise, Quantum of Solace which was released in 2008 and Craig earned a bumper $8.9m salary.

The production budget skyrocketed, Casino Royale had $102m, this movie had $230! Even so, the box office gross was less than his first film, bring in $591m.

There was a four-year break until we saw Daniel Craig portray Bond again when Skyfall was released in 2012, the much-admired Sam Mendes was brought in to direct this movie, the budget dropped to $200m but at the box office, the film grossed over $1.1bn making it the most successful Bond movie to date and the 28th best movie of all-time.

Mendes & Craig teamed up again in 2015 to attempt to follow up on their success with Skyfall with the release of Spectre, there was an additional $100m thrown into the budget and the film was well-received even though it brought in less than Skyfall with it grossing $879m at the box office.

The upcoming 2020 release, No Time to Die will be Craig's fifth and final appearance as Agent 007, American filmmaker and producer of the excellent first season True Detective Cary Joji Fukunaga takes over director duties of the movie which was given a $250m budget.