Next Bond Villain Odds: Margot Robbie And Stellan Skarsgard New Frontrunners

There has been plenty of progress on the next Bond film in the last 12 months, so it can only be a matter of time before stars are cast for the follow-up to 2021's No Time To Die. 

Betting sites have been buzzing with excitement for months about who the next James Bond and Bond Girl will be, and several stars have also been linked with the next Bond Villain role. 

Amazon MGM Studios now have creative control of the franchise, and we know Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been tasked with writing the script for the next Bond film, which Denis Villeneuve will direct. 

But who will be facing off against the suave spy next?

Robbie To Hit Bond Heights 

Margot Robbie has been installed as the 2.62 favourite on betting apps to be the next female Bond villain. 

While the Australian actress is rarely out of the limelight, she'll be back in it in a big way in February when her new movie Wuthering Heights hits cinemas.

In the motion picture, Robbie plays recreational sadist and unhinged character Catherine Earnshaw, and it's not the first time she has portrayed a no-nonsense character, having done so as Suicide Squad's Harley Quinn.

Former 007 George Lazenby even previously tipped Robbie to appear as a new Bond. 

Speaking to The Sun newspaper in 2020, he said: "I would rather see a woman on screen than a man, so it might be a good idea having a woman play James Bond...Jane Bond. 

"I think it’s a good idea. I mean, why not? There’s an Australian actress who’s over here that I was just listening to on the television today, Margot Robbie.

"She comes across like she’s very confident...if you can pull that off, people will believe you."

The star's breakout role came in 2013's The Wolf of Wall Street, and she also portrayed the titular doll in Barbie, which was nominated for Best Picture at the 2024 Academy Awards.

Robbie is no stranger to being nominated for an Academy Award, having achieved the feat for 2017 sports film I, Tony. 

Next Female James Bond Villain Odds:

While she didn't win the prize, one of the new frontrunners to be the next female Bond villain could be an Academy Award victor. 

Jessie Buckley won Best Actress at this year's Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards, and she is a near-certainty to make it a hat-trick at the 2026 Academy Awards. 

The Irish star is just 2.88 to be the next female Bond villain, just in front of 3.0 chance and national treasure Olivia Colman. 

As well as her incredible acting range, another thing on Colman's side could be that she's worked with Knight before, after taking on the role of eccentric Miss Havisham in his 2023 TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations. 

His And Her Bond Villain Roles 

Netflix megahit His & Hers is one of the shows dominating water cooler conversations in offices across the globe, and female lead Tessa Thompson is a huge reason for that. 

She is just 3.5 to be the next female Bond villain off the back of the thriller, followed by 4.0 chance Zendaya.

We know Amy Pascal and David Heyman are going to co-produce the new Bond movie, and that could increase Zendaya's chances of landing a role in the next film. 

She worked with Pascal in tennis movie Challengers, as well as 2017 movie Spider-Man: Homecoming, and subsequent sequels Spider-Man: Far From Home and Spider-Man: No Way Home.

Zendaya has also been directed by Villeneuve in space movie megahits Dune and Dune: Part Two. 

Others in contention to be the next female Bond villain include Rose Byrne, who is a new entry into the market at 4.5.

The If I Had Legs I'd Kick You actress won Best Female Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for the movie at the recent Golden Globes, and she was a previous finalist for the role of Bond Girl Vesper Lynd in the 2006 film Casino Royale. 

Saoirse Ronan also has some Bond history, after she previously expressed a desire to go up against 007 in the next movie. 

Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast about her potential character, she said: "Her and Bond don't get together or anything, she's a villain. Like Javier Bardem vibes. 

"I'm conscious of being blonde, because I feel like a lot of villains in movies, they’re always like, make them super blonde and evil looking." 

Skarsgard And Elordi To Do Battle Again 

Stellan Skarsgard is odds-on to win a Best Supporting Actor Oscar at this year's Academy Awards, and the prize could sit nicely on his mantlepiece next to the Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor - Motion Picture, which he also won this year. 

Following his 2026 awards ceremony success for movie Sentimental Value, Skarsgard is into 2.25 favourite, from 4.0, to be the next male Bond villain. 

The star will go up against Robbie's Wuthering Heights leading man Jacob Elordi for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar later this year. 

Elordi has already inflicted defeat on Skarsgard once this year, with his role as Frankenstein's The Creature winning Best Supporting Actor at the Critics Choice Awards. 

Next Male James Bond Villain Odds:

While Skarsgard is favourite to overcome Elordi at the Oscars, the pair could do battle once again to be the next male Bond villain. 

However, Elordi could be pipped to the post there, too, because he is 2.38 second favourite.

Other 2026 awards-show success stories, Timothee Chalamet and Stephen Graham, are also in contention to be Bond villains, at 2.5 and 2.88 respectively, as is Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy (3.0). 

Murphy is no stranger to working with screenwriter Knight in the BBC TV series. 

Another star who shouldn't be ruled out is The Secret Agent's Wagner Moura, who won Best Male Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama at this year's Globes. 

He is 3.5 to be the next Bond villain, just ahead of the likes of Jared Leto (4.0) and Colin Farrell (5.0). 

* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.

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