At the end of Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, No Time to Die was the statement, “James Bond will return.” This has lingered in the back of fans’ minds for quite some time now, as devotees debate how and when 007 will make a comeback.
WARNING: Spoilers for No Time to Die ahead.
Although the concluding title card is a recurring feature in the Bond series, the pledge that Bond would be back for a 26th film came as a shock given the last instalment’s… err… explosive ending.
With the fate of the 007 universe resting in Amazon’s hands following a recent acquisition, we could be closer to a new Bond picture than previously though. We’re excited to see which new actors will soon find themselves ushering in a new era of Bond’s story… but who could they be?
Scroll on for everything we know about the next James Bond film so far, including who has been rumoured to be taking on what is arguably one of cinema’s most iconic characters.
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Does Amazon Own The James Bond Franchise?
On Feb 20, 2025, it officially declared that EON Productions’ Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson—who were the long-time caretakers of the James Bond franchise—would hang up their holsters and pass on full creative control to Amazon MGM Studios.
Back in 2022, the production giant purchased MGM for US$8.45 billion, getting part ownership 50-year-old Bond Legacy series, additionally giving Amazon full distribution rights. Now, Amazon can control the past of 007, and steer his future too.
Who Is In The Running?
On Feb 23, 2025, Amazon boss Jeff Bezos posted the question, “Who’d you pick as the next Bond?” to his 6.8 million followers on X. He opened the floor for fan suggestions alongside a screenshot of the BBC News story covering the announcement that Amazon has gained creative control of the beloved film franchise.
While no actor has been confirmed for the role just yet, there have been plenty of reports and rumours over the years to make us speculate. We’ve listed a few of the potential 007 candidates in the frame… or shall we say, in the gun barrel? Scroll on for the rumoured top contenders for the role of James Bond.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
There were reports last year that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was offered the iconic role of Bond, James Bond, however, we are currently unsure where these rumours stand.
At the time, an unnamed source told The Sun, “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it”. ATJ then shared with Numero magazine that he found it “charming and wonderful that people see me in that role,” when asked about the speculation. “I take it as a great compliment,” he added.
However, later a production insider told the BBC there was “no truth in the rumours”.
While on the promotional tour for Kraven the Hunter in December 2024, Aaron encouraged cinema-goers to see Kraven instead of giving straight answers about his status in the Bond universe. So, nothing has directly been confirmed on denied.
Stuart Martin
Scottish actor Stuart Martin is on of the latest names to emerge as a 007 candidate. “Stewart is a name that has been discussed in Bond circles by those in the know. It is in serious dispute. No one will confirm it because Eon Productions is in denial and avoiding anything to do with casting, but it would be an amazing milestone if a Scottish Bond reappeared,” said a Los Angeles-based film consultant who has worked on the James Bond franchise.
Henry Cavill
One of the current favourites to take on the role is Super Man and Mission: Impossible star, Henry Cavill, who was thought to be the potential next to play Bond before Daniel Craig was even cast.
Henry shared with GQ in 2022 that he “would love to play Bond, it would be very, very exciting”.
Damson Idris
One of the youngest names in the running for the role is 32-year-old Damson Idris. The Snowfall actor is the latest Brit who is rumoured to have auditioned for the Bond producers. He also played the lead role in Netflix’s sci-fi action film Outside the Wire.
James Norton
Another fan-favourite pick is James Norton, who starred recently in the stage production of A Little Life and was in the cast of 2019 film Little Women.
In 2018 he addressed rumours that he could be the next James Bond, and told the Evening Standard: “There’s an inevitable amount of speculation. But that’s as much as it is—speculation. Very flattering, very humbling speculation.”
Honourable mentions...
Many other names have been thrown out to play Bond, but chatter around them taking up the role seems to be more hopeful than possible. These include a bevy of rising stars including Jacob Elordi, Jonathan Bailey, Michael Ward, Rege Jean Page, Barry Keoghan and even Harry Styles.
Again, the new James Bond is yet to be confirmed.
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When & Where Will We Be Able To Watch The 26th James Bond?
In 2022, Barbra Broccoli said Bond 26 is “going to be a couple of years off.”
That implied it could go into production in 2024, but in January 2025 there is no apparent progress. But, now that Amazon has full creative control, things might be coming sooner than expected!
We can assume that the spy film will be available to watch on Amazon Prime Video.
