Daniel Craig‘s tenure as James Bond concludes with No Time To Die, bringing his 15 years in the franchise to an end. Last year, a number of rumours surfaced online suggesting Tom Hardy had already been cast as his replacement, prompting him to reach the top of the Bond odds. Since then, however, things have changed.
Over Christmas Bridgerton was released on Netflix, introducing the mainstream audience to British-Zimbabwean star Regé-Jean Page.
The 31-year-old quickly got viewers hot under the collar with his raunchy scenes, before people started rallying for him to don the tuxedo and martini.
While Page was previously chasing Hardy on the odds leaderboard, he has now totally leapfrogged the Inception star.
In odds from Ladbrokes, Page now has Evens on becoming the next 007 after Craig steps down.
READ MORE: Next James Bond: Luke Evans loses out on 007 spot after casting news
Conversely, Hardy has slipped behind a little. After enjoying 3/1 odds for some time, he has now dropped just below to 4/1.
Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati commented: “There’s a strong chance Bond chiefs have found their man when it comes to Daniel Craig’s replacement, with Regé-Jean Page now running away with things in the betting.”
Page recently opened up about the rumours, which have followed him around online for the entire year.
Speaking about the Bond claims, he told The Hollywood Reporter: “Yeah, it gets clicks.”
What do you think? Should Regé-Jean Page take the spot over Tom Hardy? Join the debate in the comments section here.
However, Norton isn’t the only British star in the running for the role.
He is followed closely by Luke Evans, of Beauty and the Beast and Lord of the Rings fame.
The Welsh star previously spoke out about wanting to join the franchise, adding he would “jump at the chance” to play the iconic spy.
At the moment, Evans has a staggering 8/1 on becoming Bond – not bad for an actor who only got put in the running recently.
Every other name in the Bond odds running has more than 8/1, meaning things are getting close.
Fans will have to wait and see who rises up the ranks, however, as the next Bond is not due to be announced until after Craig has stepped down from the series officially.
Considering the next movie isn’t out for another six months, viewers will have to wait and see what happens until then.
James Bond No Time To Die is due out on September 30, 2021.
Published at Mon, 21 Jun 2021 09:01:00 +0000
Next James Bond: Tom Hardy leapfrogged by Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page in 007 twist
