Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson And 19 More Actors Rumoured To Be The Next James Bond |
Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson And 19 More Actors Rumoured To Be The Next James Bond
Tom Francis is the latest star reportedly in the running for the role of 007, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson also considered a frontrunner.
It’s now been almost five years since Daniel Craig’s departure from the James Bond franchise in No Time To Die – and somehow there’s still been no confirmation of who will be succeeding him as 007.
Over the last year, there have been some behind-the-scenes developments for the James Bond franchise, with a new creative team taking control and an Oscar-nominated filmmaker having now been chosen to direct the next instalment.
Finally, bosses announced in mid-May that the “search for the next James Bond” was officially underway, with auditions having now begun.
Until recently, it looked like the role was Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s for the taking, but since then, Callum Turner has been rumoured to be the hot contender for the role, as has Jacob Elordi.
As the 007 search continues, here are 21 stars who’ve all been rumoured for the job...
Who is he? The Australian actor has been a star on the rise ever since his break-out role in the teen drama Euphoria.
Following acclaim in films like Saltburn, Priscilla and The Narrow Road To The Deep North, Jacob landed his first Oscar nomination in 2026 for his performance as the creature in Frankenstein, the same year he also got everyone talking thanks to his work as Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
Where did the rumour come from? Jacob’s name was first mentioned as a serious contender to play James Bond in the summer of 2025, when Variety suggested he was at the top of producers’ wishlists.
Following this, World Of Reel claimed he’d met with director Denis Villeneuve, with the gossip site DeuxMoi suggesting shortly after Wuthering Heights’ release that he’d been offered the role of James Bond.
What’s he said? He previously told Extra of calls for him to play James Bond: “That’s beautiful… I just like that people maybe want to put me in their movies. That makes me really glad.”
Who is he? Callum Turner has been putting in the work for more than a decade now, but he’s enjoyed a real breakthrough in the last few years.
Some of his most recent projects include the Fantastic Beasts movies, in which he played Theseus Scamander, the sports drama The Boys In The Boat and the star-studded Apple TV series Masters Of The Air.
He’s also been making headlines for several years now thanks to his relationship with his famous fiancée, pop superstar Dua Lipa, who has also been repeatedly linked with the Bond franchise as she’s been rumoured to be recording the next film’s accompanying theme song.
Where did the rumour come from? In December 2025, several news outlets spotted that betting odds had been suddenly slashed on Callum being cast as James Bond.
Since then, Callum’s name was mentioned in an article published by the Mail, suggesting he’d been “blabbing all over town” that he’d landed the coveted spy role.
What has he said? Despite the Mail’s reports about Callum’s loose-lipped approach to his Bond casting, he hasn’t said anything publicly yet.
Meanwhile, during an appearance at the Berlinale film festival in February 2026, Callum was definitely in no mood to discuss the rumours, giving a rather curt answer when asked about the speculation at a press conference.
Who is he? Until recently, Aaron has been widely considered as the frontrunner for the role of James for more than a year now. His past credits include the superhero comedy Kick-Ass, the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet.
Since then, he’s appeared in projects as varied as Marvel’s Kraven The Hunter, the arthouse horror flick Nosferatu and Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later.
Where did the rumour come from? In November 2022, Aaron supposedly met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli (who has since left the franchise), with follow-up reports claiming the meeting “went well”.
More recently, in 2024, tabloid reports went as far as saying he’d been cast in the role, though this was walked back mere days later. However, the rumour mill has been in overdrive once again in recent history thanks to a series of clues pointing to Aaron playing 007.
What has he said? Nothing concrete just yet – but his skittishness when it comes to whether or not he’s playing James Bond has to count for something, right?
Who is he? The James Bond rumour that’s being going around the longest time involved Idris Elba, whose acting credits include the Thor films, Beasts of No Nation, the Fast & Furious series and the BBC detective........