Amazon MGM Studios has begun auditions for the next actor to play 007 in the James Bond movies. With Daniel Craig finishing up his role in No Time to Die (2021), his time in the role ended, and that led to the news that Amazon had acquired the rights to the franchise and had plans to change things around with the next few movies. According to casting director Nina Gold, whoever they cast as the next James Bond needs to “ooze sex appeal” and be young enough to play the character for up to four or more films. That means that the actor needs to be in his early 30s, at the oldest. Craig was 37 when he took on the role.
Dune director Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie, and casting will take form in the near future. There are several favorites to play the next 007 in the Amazon MGM Studios James Bond movies, and here are the five frontrunners.
Theo James enjoyed his breakout role in the young adult dystopian franchise Divergent. However, it is what he has done since then that makes him a perfect choice to play Agent 007. Specifically, his performance in the Netflix adaptation of The Gentlemen proves that he has the chops and charisma to take on the Bond role. This series was created by Guy Ritchie, and James plays a former Army captain who inherits land that houses a drug business.
James is 41 years old, which puts him a little old for the idea of playing in any more than four movies because he will be at least 50 or older when the fourth comes out, based on the length it takes to make each film. However, the native of High Wycombe, England, has the pedigree and acting talent to step into the large shoes Daniel Craig left behind.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is another name that has been rumored for the role of James Bond. While he seems the least likely to land the role based on past performances, there is one thing that he has done that no other person auditioning for the role has accomplished. Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to major franchise roles, although he has not always had the best of luck with them.
He starred as Quicksilver in the MCU movie Avengers: Age of Ultron, but critics dismissed his role, and his character died after the one movie. Sony tried to bet on him with their Spider-Man franchise, but his starring role as Kraven the Hunter also fell flat and ended with just one movie. He also appeared in the first Godzilla movie in the MonsterVerse. However, roles in Tenet, Bullet Train, and The Fall Guy, as well as a critically acclaimed performance in Nosferatu, prove that he just needs to find that one big role. James Bond could be it.
Jacob Elordi earned an Oscar nomination for his role in the Guillermo del Toro adaptation of Frankenstein, but he earned it while under heavy makeup playing the Creature. That said, he has several great roles where he is allowed to look like himself, including the 2026 romantic drama Wuthering Heights and the 2023 indie drama Saltburn.
All three of those movies were critically acclaimed, and Elordi might be ready to step into a more prominent role. The Australian actor is only 28, so he could legitimately star in five James Bond movies before he ever turns 40. While one wonders if he would want to donate the next decade of his career to the one role or not, this is a character that most actors would love to play, and it could be a career-defining moment for the young star.
Harris Dickinson looks nothing like what one might expect James Bond to look like when compared to past actors who played the role. Unlike every other actor on this list, he still has a baby face and doesn’t seem to display the danger that Bond possesses. However, when looking at his movie career, he has done more than enough to prove he deserves a chance at the role.
He was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead in his debut starring role in Beach Rats (2017). He then moved to TV and played John Paul Getty III in the FX series Trust (2018). He has since gone on to direct his own movie, Urchin, which won the FIPRESCI Prize at the Cannes Film Festival, proving he is more than just another actor. He even has a spy movie in his past, playing Conrad Oxford in The King’s Man (2021).
The odds-on favorite to land the James Bond role is Callum Turner. The actor was born in Hammersmith, London, England, and he has a strong acting background, including the lead role in the 2014 drama movie Queen and Country. He has pushed himself into various genres, including horror (Green Room), action (Assassin’s Creed), franchises (Fantastic Beasts), and period pieces (Emma).
In 2020, he was nominated for Best Actor for The Capture at the British Academy Television Awards and in 2025 for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for Masters of the Air at the Satellite Awards. According to several betting sites, Turner is the favorite to get the 007 role, and his past performances, appearance, and age (36) make him the perfect choice when Amazon MGM Studios kicks off its James Bond franchise.
