Next James Bond Odds: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Expected To Don The Tuxedo Next
Rumours are circulating that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been formally offered the role to become the next James Bond.
As a result of the news, betting sites have reacted by suspending all betting as an announcement appears imminent over the coming days as to whether he will assume the mantle from Daniel Craig or not.
Following a long delay owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, Craig’s fifth and final entry as 007 enjoyed its world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London on September 28, 2021.
Wider releases followed in the United Kingdom and the United States, and in spite of concerns about people’s appetite to return to cinemas, No Time To Die made just under $775 million at the box office.
Co-starring Academy Award winners Rami Malek and Christoph Waltz, it grossed more than $600 million in territories outside of the USA and Canada - a sure fire example of the universal appeal that this particular franchise enjoys.
Taylor-Johnson Looks Set For 007 Duties
After the esteem that Craig was held in during his stint as Bond, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are understandably being very careful about who they select to take on a role that was also previously filled by the likes of Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan.
It has also been said that - as an extension of sorts to tying down an actor to a multi-picture deal - that Broccoli and Wilson will be looking for someone under the age of 40.
For this reason, 33-year-old Englishman Aaron Taylor-Johnson appears to have proven specials betting sites correct in being offered the role.
In addition to featuring in films such as Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tenet and Bullet Train, Taylor-Johnson also portrayed John Lennon in Nowhere Boy and won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his role in Nocturnal Animals.
Taylor-Johnson was available at 2/1 with BoyleSports to be chosen as the next James Bond before the betting closed.
Cavill Also In The Running For Another Top Spy Role
Even though he turned 40 in May of last year - and may be seen as outside of the reckoning going by the above criteria - Henry Cavill also featured heavily in the outright betting to be the next 007.
He has taken on some iconic roles on the silver screen in recent years, such as Superman, Sherlock Holmes and Napoleon Solo in the film adaptation of the 1960s TV spy series The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Despite being an American character, the similarities between Solo and Bond are quite striking.
Even if the Bond role doesn’t come his way, Cavill has made a steady contribution to the spy genre outside of his work as Solo.
He showcased his action chops as a support player in Mission: Impossible - Fallout and can also be seen in the action spy films Argylle and The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare later on this year.
While Ladbrokes had Cavill at 7/2 to be the next Bond, others went slightly shorter at 3/1.
Idris, Norton And Page Also Featured Heavily In Outright Bond Betting
While Idris Elba has fallen down the pecking order to feature, with odds ranging from 14/1 to 25/1, his namesake Damson Idris is trending in the right direction when it comes to Bond betting.
Not necessarily a household name when it comes to the world of film, Idris is perhaps best known for his six-season spell as the lead in Snowfall - an American crime drama series co-created by the late John Singleton.
The 32-year-old hails from Peckham in London, and was listed at a tasty 9/2 with Coral, with a general 7/2 offered elsewhere.
James Norton and Rege-Jean Page have previously been amongst the chasing pack for the coveted role of Bond, and were certainly not out of the running as far as bookmakers are concerned until very recently.
A well-respected TV actor that has starred in the likes of Happy Valley, Grantchester, War & Peace and McMafia, 38-year-old Norton was also in the 2022 film Rogue Agent - where he played Robert Hendy-Freegard, a real-life conman who tricked and convinced several people that he was an MI5 agent.
At 4/1 with the likes of Coral and Ladbrokes, there was also odds of 5/1 available with Unibet on Norton being chosen as Craig’s successor.
Meanwhile, there were three different betting apps that offered 6/1 on Page being given the nod to be the next Bond.
At 35 years of age, the London native appears to have the perfect profile to be a long-term successor of Craig and he impressed during his short spell as Simon Basset, Duke of Hastings on Netflix’s Bridgerton.
Though it underperformed at the box office, Page also received praise for his supporting part in Dungeons & Dragons: Honour Among Thieves and also when featuring alongside A-listers Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans in 2022's The Gray Man.
A Number Of Candidates Still In With An Outside Shot
Coming in just behind Norton and Page are the Academy Award nominated duo of Paul Mescal and Dev Patel - both of whom were rated as 8/1 hopefuls.
Soon to be seen reprising his role as Eddie Brock in the superhero sequel Venom 3, Tom Hardy was available at odds that range from 7/1 to 10/1 with UK bookmakers.
Currently seen opposite Gary Oldman and Kristin Scott Thomas in the Apple TV+ spy thriller series Slow Horses, Jack Lowden (14/1) was an interesting outside bet in a packed field.
Following his recent Oscar success for his role as J Robert Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy was the latest actor to make his way on the shortlist.
His odds ranged from 9/1 right up to 33/1 with a variety of bookmakers, a possibility that has been endorsed further by former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, who said he believes "Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty's Secret Service".
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