Queen 'put herself up' for 2012 James Bond sketch says writer
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James Bond fans have been longing for some concrete information about who will take over from Daniel Craig as 007 after No Time To Die. In recent months, Tom Hardy has been one of the biggest names in the running, but his odds have begun to stagnate. Meanwhile, two enormous British actors are pulling ahead and leaving the star in the dust. The first is Henry Cavill, who is best known for playing Superman.
Ladbrokes have announced that Cavill is currently the frontrunner in the Bond odds, leading with an incredible 5/2.
The Witcher star would not be a surprising choice considering he made it to the final round of auditions back in 2005 for Casino Royale. Unfortunately for the British hunk, he was deemed “too chubby” for the role. He later admitted he “didn’t know how to train or diet”.
The film’s director, Martin Campbell, then hired Craig for the role – a position he held for 15 years across five movies.
Cavill has not got the role confirmed just yet, however. And he has some stiff competition just behind him, as well.
In second place in the Bond odds is James Norton, of McMafia and Grantchester fame. The 37-year-old is young, British, and an up-and-coming actor, so he could be a great pick for the next Bond. And with 9/2 odds on claiming the role, he does stand an excellent chance.
Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “Henry Cavill and James Norton are slowly beginning to pull away at the head of the Bond betting, with the latter receiving plenty of interest from punters over the last week or so.”
However, the favourite with Bond fans is still Tom Hardy.
The Peaky Blinders and Batman star currently holds the fourth-place spot in the odds. The actor has become a hot property in Hollywood over the past few years, and casting rumours previously suggested he had already been cast as James Bond behind the scenes.
Naomi Harris says Tom Hardy is too established for James Bond
Hardy now has a strong 5/1 on becoming 007, but these numbers have dwindled in recent months. This may be because he has flat-out refused to discuss the possibility of becoming the hero in the future. The 45-year-old said of the role: “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. So I can’t possibly comment on that one! If I mention it, it’s gone.”
However, he did have some suggestions about who ought to helm the next movie, adding: “Chris Nolan, what a fantastic director for a Bond movie. Because Daniel [Craig] is so good, and what [Sam] Mendes and Barbara [Broccoli] have done has been so impressive, that it would be a very hard reimagination to follow after.”
Just ahead of Hardy in the odds is the Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page. The British-Zimbabwean actor currently holds third-place in the odds after gaining popularity in recent years with the release of his Netflix period drama where he stole the hearts of viewers and casting directors around the world.
Since becoming a household name, Page has starred in another Netflix property – The Grey Man, with Ryan Gosling – as well as a starring role in the Dungeons & Dragons adaptation.
After such an incredible year for his career, Page now has a powerful 5/1 on becoming the new 007, putting him in second place in Ladbrokes’ odds.
Fans shouldn’t get too excited, however, as he has previously spoken out about rumours that he will be cast as Bond in the near future. He mused that the casting gossip is nothing more than “flattery”, and that he does not think he will be seriously considered behind the scenes.
Just behind Page in the odds is the iconic Idris Elba, of Luther and The Suicide Squad fame. The British legend has long been a fan favourite to become the new James Bond since he started becoming a Hollywood tough guy.
Elba has an impressive 10/1 – but he, too, has laid doubt on the idea that he might become the new Bond. Most recently, he said he was “happy with playing Luther” and wasn’t worried about grabbing the 007 role. But the Bond bosses recently chimed in to speak about his part in the next Bond movie.
Bond boss Barbara Broccoli recently revealed: “We love Idris. The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off. And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-12-year commitment. So [Elba is] probably thinking: ‘Do I really want that thing?’ Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it].”
Fellow Bond boss Michael G Wilson added: “And he was in his early 30s at the time!”
The leaders of the franchise also teased that the next official Bond news will likely come in the next “few years”, so fans will, unfortunately, have to hold on and see how things shape up for the new-and-improved 007.
Every James Bond film is currently available to stream on Amazon Prime Video now.
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