The Rest is Entertainment host Richard Osman claims to have some insider knowledge on who the favourite to replace Daniel Craig in the new James Bond films is
Daniel Craig bowed out as the suave MI6 agent in 2021’s No Time to Die(Image: Getty)
As one of the most well-known British film franchises, James Bond has captivated audiences since its first big-screen outing in 1962’s Dr No. A huge 26 films later, and seven actors playing the famed 007, bosses are looking for a new actor to pick up the mantle.
Among those tipped have been Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi, Fantastic Beasts star Callum Turner, West End talent Tom Francis and Nosferatu’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson.
But a new name has now emerged – and he has a very famous wife. Speaking on his Rest is Entertainment podcast, Richard Osman tipped Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden as a frontrunner.
“The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden. It is definitively not a ‘he’s definitely got it’ thing. He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he’d be amazing,” Richard, who has plenty of contacts within the TV and movie industry, explained.
Jack has been steadily building the kind of résumé that makes a Bond audition feel credible. He’s best known as River Cartwright, the MI5 operative at the centre of Apple TV+’s Slow Horses, and he’s now taking on Mr Darcy in Netflix’s new Pride and Prejudice.
Off-camera, meanwhile, he is known for being husband to four-time Oscar nominee Saoirse Ronan, known for her roles in Atonment, The Grand Budapest Hotel and Hanna.
There’s no doubt that being as 007 would be the pinnacle of Jack’s career. It would make him the first Scottish Bond since Sean Connery, who last wore the tuxedo in 1983’s Never Say Never Again and played the character seven times.
Bond has appeared in 27 films in total, with seven actors officially playing the MI6 agent over the years, from the campier outings with Roger Moore to the more grounded Timothy Dalton.
In 2006, Bond took on a more serious, gritty shade when Daniel Craig took up the mantle for Casino Royale. He starred in five films in total, ending with 2021’s No Time To Die, which also starred Rami Malek as the villain Dr Lyutsifer Safin.
But a new chapter for the character is about to unfold, and the star set to play 007 in Denis Villeneuve’s iteration is something of a mystery.
Amy Pascal, the producer of the new Bond films, reckons it’s a “good bet” the new leading man will be unveiled before the year’s out. Speaking to Deadline, she revealed: “I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical.
“Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow. And it’s got to be something really different that is a stirring and exciting and different.”
Bond’s long-time custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have reportedly handed the franchise rights to Amazon, with production expected to start in 2027.
Amazon MGM Studios, its entertainment division, issued a statement earlier this year.
It read: “While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.”
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is writing the script. Appearing on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, he said he couldn’t reveal much about the top-secret project — but added he was “loving it”.
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