Next James Bond race grinds to a halt as Tom Hardy loses out to newcomer
No Time To Die hit cinemas last year and brought a brutal end to Daniel Craig‘s era of James Bond film series. After 15 years and five movies, the British star finally moved on after his version of the hero was killed off. Now, the hunt is on for a new actor to embody 007 for the foreseeable future. The official announcement will likely come in the next couple of years; and while Tom Hardy has been a relative favourite in the Bond odds for some time, he may have missed his chance.
Hardy has become a fan favourite in the past few years, especially after rumours hit that he had already been cast as the super spy behind-the-scenes.
The Venom star has been quizzed about becoming Bond in recent years, however, he is adamant he will be staying quiet.
He said: “You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. If I mention it, it’s gone.”
While we’re not sure if we agree with that sentiment, he added that he believes Christopher Nolan would be a great director for a new Bond movie.
With that said, Hardy’s odds of becoming the new and improved James Bond are currently at 7/1 from Ladbrokes.
While these are certainly strong odds, they by no means make him a sure thing in the betting. At the moment, these odds place Hardy fourth in the top ten list of 007 candidates.
Ahead of him is the Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page, who has a powerful 6/1 with Ladbrokes at third place in the betting.
The British-Zimbabwean actor has become extremely popular in recent years, and has not only starred opposite Ryan Gosling in the Netflix movie The Grey Man, but will be starring in the upcoming Dungeons & Dragons movie adaptation.
He himself has said these odds are nothing but “flattery,” however, leaving him an unlikely candidate.
Just ahead of him in second place is the hugely popular Superman star: Henry Cavill.
James Bond has been portrayed by seven actors in 27 films from 1962 to 2021.
Here’s every actor who’s played 007 so far
Sean Connery
- Dr No (1962)
- From Russia With Love (1963)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- You Only Live Twice (1967)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Never Say Never Again (Non-Eon, 1983)
David Niven
- Casino Royale (Non-Eon, 1967)
George Lazenby
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Roger Moore
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Moonraker (1979)
- For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Octopussy (1983)
- A View To A Kill (1985)
Timothy Dalton
- The Living Daylights (1987)
- Licence To Kill (1989)
Piers Brosnan
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- The World Is Not Enough (1999)
- Die Another Day (2002)
Daniel Craig
- Casino Royale (2006)
- Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Skyfall (2012)
- Spectre (2015)
- No Time To Die (2021)
Cavill recently hit headlines when it was revealed he would not only be leaving The Witcher series but was also no longer playing Clark Kent for the DC Comics movies.
With his schedule now completely opened up, this is the perfect time for Cavill to jump into the tuxedo and become the next best James Bond.
And with a staggering 5/2 odds on it, his chances are extremely good.
However, there is one major player standing in his way: Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
Taylor-Johnson has been a mainstay in British cinema for years. Not only did he play John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy, but he also became a crucial part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Scarlet Witch‘s brother, Pietro Maximoff.
Most recently, he went toe-to-toe with Brad Pitt in Bullet Train and fought crime in the Kick-Ass series.
After some surprising bets in his favour, Taylor-Johnson has become the favourite for the next 007 role, with unbelievable 2/1 odds.
Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati said: “Our traders have been scratching their heads somewhat after seeing Aaron Taylor-Johnson leap to the head of the betting, but he continues to hold top spot in the race to replace Daniel Craig, with Henry Cavill now being his closest rival for the 007 gig.”
