Tom Hardy has once again reclaimed favourtism in the betting on the long-running saga of who will replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.
Craig has filmed his last movie as Bond, No Time To Die, which has been repeatedly delayed for release due to the pandemic with the current cinema roll-out date set for October 8, 2021.
Meanwhile, as 007 fans wait patiently for what will be the 25th instalment of the film franchise, speculation over who is the new James Bond has been rife for years.
Interest in previous flavour-of-the-month Rege-Jean Page has cooled considerably over the past few months with the Bridgerton star drifting out from evens to 2/1 with top specials betting sites.
That has seen Hardy move back into the role of favourite at 5/4, though there seems to be little evidence for the bookies to base their price upon.
Odds On The New James Bond
| Actor | Odds |
|---|---|
| Tom Hardy | 5/4 |
| Rege-Jean Page | 2/1 |
| James Norton | 10/3 |
| Sam Heughan | 9/2 |
| Idris Elba | 7/1 |
| Richard Madden | 12/1 |
| Cillian Murphy | 14/1 |
| Jack Lowden | 20/1 |
Indeed, the notion of Hardy being cast as the new James Bond seems a little dubious considering producers have historically picked an actor outside the A-list category.
Hardy is most definitely A-list material, but the role of Bond tends to turn actors into Hollywood stars rather than enhance an already renowned reputation.
Idris Elba is a popular pick among punters betting on the next James Bond but, again, his stock may already be too high for the liking of Bond producers and that is perhaps why his odds have drifted out to 7/1.
Whether Page can be considered an A-lister is subjective – on one hand he played a lead role in Netflix’s most successful ever series, but on the other hand it’s still the small screen.
Could The Next James Bond Be Female?
There have been suggestions that agent 007 could be reinvented as a female and Lashana Lynch is the shortest-priced woman in the betting at 6/1 with Paddy Power.
However, tread carefully if wagering on the 33-year-old Captain Marvel star as Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has previously rebuffed the idea of a female James Bond.
Broccoli has hinted at an open mind towards reinventing James Bond somehow though: “It will have to be reimagined, in the way each actor has reimagined the role,” she said.
Nothing will be confirmed anytime soon, with their focus very much on making a success of No Time To Die.
Betting News Articles
First published on: Gambling.com
