Next Bond Villain Odds: Knight Appointment Sees Murphy And Colman New Favourites

The James Bond film franchise has sprung into action in recent weeks, and another new appointment has mixed things up on betting sites. 

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will write the script for the next 007 movie, after he was appointed by Amazon MGM Studios. 

The company recently took over creative control of the franchise and enlisted Denis Villeneuve to direct the next Bond film. 

Amazon MGM has also picked Harry Potter producer David Heyman - who worked on all eight of the wizarding world movies - and Spider-Man producer Amy Pascal as Bond producers. 

But following Knight's appointment, there are some new Bond villain favourites in town. 

Murphy Vs Bond 

Knight is best known for creating and executive producing BBC crime thriller Peaky Blinders, which is led by one of the best actors in the business - Cillian Murphy. 

So, it's no surprise to see the Tommy Shelby star emerge as the new 11/10 favourite on betting apps to portray a male Bond villain in the next suave spy motion picture. 

In Peaky Blinders, Murphy showed he can turn his hand to the role of a gritty gangster with ease, and 007 might meet his match if he comes up against a villain portrayed by the Oscar winner. 

Next Male James Bond Villain Odds

Murphy has knocked Jared Leto off top spot in the market. 

Following Cillian's emergence, the Suicide Squad star's price has increased from 5/4 to 11/8. 

Leto is thought to have a strong chance of being cast in the next Bond film, partly because he knows Villeneuve well after he was directed by the filmmaker in 2017 movie Blade Runner 2049.

And Leto is very much au fait with a villainous role after portraying the Joker in 2016's Suicide Squad. 

This Is A Bond Villain 

Another actor who puts in a stellar performance in every production is This is England star Stephen Graham.

If people didn't know about him before, most have now heard of the star following his incredible display in Netflix megahit Adolescence, which he co-created, earlier this year. 

But Knight knew plenty about him well before Adolescence. 

Graham appeared in the final series of Peaky Blinders, portraying Hayden Stagg, who faces off against Tommy's brother Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson) in the show. 

The actor appeared in another Knight-created historical drama earlier this year when he starred as bare-knuckle boxing king Sugar Goodson in Disney+ series A Thousand Blows. 

And he is just 6/4 to bring some of Sugar's grit and belligerence to a Bond villain role. 

Graham would be a huge asset to any production, as would the likes of Colin Farrell (2/1) and Stellan Skarsgard (3/1), who are also in contention for Bond villain parts. 

Heyman could put in a good word for Farrell and 4/1 chance Jude Law, having been a producer on the Fantastic Beasts films. 

Irish star Farrell appeared as Percival Graves/Gellert Grindelwald in 2016's Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and Law played a young Albus Dumbledore in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. 

Liv And Let Die 

Olivia Colman is no stranger to appearing alongside Farrell - in 2015 movie The Lobster - and she has also worked with Knight. 

She took on the role of eccentric Miss Havisham in Knight's 2023 TV adaptation of Charles Dickens' classic Great Expectations - and she was impressed with his script. 

Speaking about appearing in the six-part series, she said: "The first time I read Steven Knight’s script, I thought it was much darker than what I had remembered from school. There were quite a few changes and I found it quite gripping."

While she isn't best-known for her villainous roles, Colman would be a phenomenal addition to the next Bond movie, and she is the new 5/4 favourite to portray a female villain in the film. 

Next Female James Bond Villain Odds

Another newcomer to the market is Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery (15/8), who is just behind second favourite Zendaya (6/4).

Dockery previously worked with Knight on BBC series The Town - and she has admitted being up for playing 007.

When asked in 2019 if she would consider portraying the spy, she told The Independent: "I love Bond, so yeah, I’d never say no."

But if Dockery doesn't land the main part, she would also love to play a Bond villain. 

She said: "Those roles with a darker side definitely appeal to me. It’s all about them feeling authentic."

Other actresses in contention for a villainous role in the next 007 film include 2/1 chance Emily Blunt and 3/1 shot Florence Pugh. 

Blunt is no stranger to portraying a special agent, after doing so in Villeneuve's 2015 crime thriller movie Sicario, and Pugh was directed by the filmmaker in Dune: Part Two. 

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