SHAKEN NOT STIRRED
Huge Brit star emerges as James Bond frontrunner as race to crown new 007 heats up
But there are still others in the running hoping to be crowned
A HUGE British star has emerged as a James Bond frontrunner as the race to crown the new 007 heats up.
Bond has seen off Russian terror organisations, survived dastardly villains, and narrowly escaped a host of assassins.
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And ever since Daniel Craig quit, 007 fans have been keen to know who will step into his tux.
Theo James' name was thrown into the hat after he wowed fans in Netflix's The Gentlemen last year.
His performance in the Guy Ritchie series made him an ideal candidate for the next actor to fill the shoes of 007.
Theo, 40, also impressed as the morally ambiguous Cameron Sullivan in second season of The White Lotus.
James Bond
And - after Superman actor Henry Cavill stormed to the top of the betting last week - Theo is once again the favourite to be the next 007 after the bookies slashed his odds from 3/1 to just 6/4.
Cal Gildart of Ladbrokes said: “Henry Cavill’s return to the head of the Bond betting didn’t last long, with Theo James as short as anyone has been to pick up the world’s most famous licence to kill.”
Other names still in the running include Aaron Taylor-Johnson after it was revealed back in 2022 that the Brit had already "filmed a top-secret scene" at Pinewood Studios, Berkshire.
Famed for the Kick-Ass movie series and the Marvel movie Avengers: Age of Ultron, Aaron shot to fame playing John Lennon in Nowhere Boy.
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The Sun previously exclusively revealed how Bond bosses had offered the job to Aaron.
However there are still another two British actors left in the running.
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With his quintessential Englishman good looks, James Norton has been a hot contender for the next Bond for many years.
The chiselled star is known for playing the lead role of Sidney Chambers in Grantchester, and also evil Tommy Lee Royce in Happy Valley.
But, after swapping Blighty for Hollywood, fans were left feeling convinced that James is set to play the new 007.
Timeline of James Bond actors
Over the years there have been seven actors who have played 007.
The first ever James Bond film was in 1962, and this is who has played the lead role over the years:
- - The late star was the first ever actor to play Bond, and reprised the role for seven movies.
- George Lazenby - The star only played Bond once, but was the youngest actor to ever play the spy.
- Roger Moore - The late movie star spent 12 years making seven films in the famous franchise.
- Timothy Dalton - The smooth actor took over from Roger Moore and appeared in The Living Daylights and Licence to Kill.
- Pierce Brosnan - The handsome star played Bond for four movies from 1995 to 2002.
- Daniel Craig - The British star was the first blonde James Bond and the sixth actor to win the role in 2005.
However, the actor has previously told fans "not to bet on him" to play Bond, as he doubts he would get the role.
Overtaking James in the running is Jack Lowden, who starred in BBC gangster drama The Gold and alongside Gary Oldman in Apple TV hit Slow Horses.
His odds of taking the 007 crown are now 8/1 against James Norton's 10/1 - so it's still all to play for in the exciting race to the Bond finish - as nothing is certain yet.
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