Callum Turner, the English actor known for his roles in Fantastic Beasts, The Boys in the Boat, Green Room and more, may be a forerunner to be the next James Bond.
According to The Standard, a source from betting company Coral claimed that the 35-year-old has been pushed as a leading contender after his starring role in new romantic A24 comedy Eternity, in which he stars opposite Elizabeth Olsen and Miles Teller.
“We’ve been knocked over with support for Callum Turner in our next James Bond betting over the last 24 hours,” said Coral’s John Hill. “The British actor is now the red-hot favourite for the role.”
Other names in the running to lead the James Bond franchise and succeed Daniel Craig are Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill, among others, although the film’s crew seeks an actor in their mid-20s to early 30s.
In September, Deadline reported that director Denis Villeneuve is scouting a “‘fresh face’ to take on the 007 mantle in Bond 26.”
The report also reads that “James Bond will be male, as written by creator Ian Fleming, and importantly, will be an actor who hails from the British Isles.”
Additionally, the next Bond film will not continue where 2021 action drama No Time to Die ended, but will be a total reboot of the fictional spy character.
Turner also has an advantage by being engaged to British pop star Dua Lipa, who made her acting debut in 2023 comedy Barbie.
In August, former Bond leading man Pierce Brosnan said he would happily return to the film franchise, but only on one condition.
He joked to Radio Times he could return to the 007 franchise as a “senior citizen.” However, he believes that no one wants to watch a “craggy, 72-year-old Bond.”
“My wife Keely [Shaye Smith] and I have been listening to the drumbeat of expectation of who’s going to be the next James Bond,” Brosnan revealed. “There are many great candidates out there, and I’m sure they’re going to make it a spectacle of delight.”
“If Villeneuve had something up his sleeve, I would look at it in a heartbeat,” he added. “Why not? It’s great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics… who knows?”
He concluded: “I’m so excited to see the next man come on the stage and to see a whole new exuberance and life for this character.”
