Who Will Be Denis Villeneuve's James Bond? The Rumoured 'Final Six', Ranked by Their 007 Chances

This article was updated by Rory O'Connor on August 28, 2026.

The question of who will follow in Daniel Craig's shoes to become the next James Bond has been floating in the movie ether for more than six years.

Now, with the smoke apparently clearing just a little, let's take a closer look at the six names (and one unlikely frontrunner) who are strongly rumoured to be in contention for the role.

First of all, how on earth did we get here? In February 2025, after nearly four years of uncertainty following Daniel Craig’s COVID-delayed finale as 007, the news finally dropped that Amazon would take creative control of Ian Fleming’s most famous character following a billion dollar acquisition, thus ending the Broccoli family’s multi-generational stint as able custodians of the James Bond franchise. Naturally, the internet went into overdrive with speculation (Christopher Nolan and Alfonso Cuarón were both rumoured to be interested in directing) before the shock announcement that Canadian auteur Denis Villeneuve was coming on board.

Unsurprisingly, this has created more questions than answers. How did Amazon convince such an idiosyncratic filmmaker to take the job, especially after a decade of IP movies including Blade Runner 2049 and a trilogy of Dune movies? What direction is Amazon planning to go in with Villeneuve’s brilliant but frankly gloomy style? And most importantly, what does this all mean when it comes to casting such an era-defining role?

Use our guide, ranked from least to most likely, to find out who is in the running to be the next James Bond.

6. Harris Dickinson

Wonderfully tall, effortlessly cool, endlessly talented and, as anyone who saw Babygirl can attest, capable of exuding a particular kind of sexual energy, the London-born Harris Dickinson seems to have all the right attributes for what we can only assume will be a darker approach from Villeneuve. And yet, something about it just doesn’t feel right.

Since breaking out in Eliza Hittman’s Beach Rats in 2017, Dickinson has remained admirably esoteric with his choice of roles. He also recently won favourable reviews at the Cannes Film Festival for his directorial debut, Urchin, and will likely be keen to direct more; so the idea of filling his schedule with a multi-film deal would be about as impractical as it would be off-brand.

Dickinson is already attached to play John Lennon, a very different kind of English legend, in two-time Bond director Sam Mendes’ Beatles anthology movies in 2026. It's a role with similar levels of mythology, perhaps. However, we expect it to ultimately be more an exception in Dickinson’s filmography than a rule.

5. Jacob Elordi

Despite being the supposed third favourite on a fanciful Amazon wish list that surfaced earlier this year (alongside Dickinson and Tom Holland), Jacob Elordi actually seemed the most likely of the three. And still, we have our doubts. Now 29, the Australian would no longer be the youngest to ever hold the famous Walter PP7 on the big screen (his fellow Aussie, George Lazenby, was also that age), but of the final six, his screen persona feels the most established — which is not something the Broccolis ever looked for.

All that said, Elordi proved his chops (and his chops) at playing a similar class of Englishman in Saltburn, enough to secure the role of Heathcliff in Emerald Fennell’s Wuthering Heights earlier this year. The thought of working with Villeneuve will naturally appeal to an actor who has always shown an appreciation for collaborating with auteur filmmakers, but similar to Dickinson, it still just feels a little off-brand.

4. Paul Mescal

The third most unlikely actor in the rumoured "final six" has to be Paul Mescal. For one, the Irish actor is already set to appear as Paul McCartney opposite Dickinson's Lennon in Mendes' Beatles films in 2028, and similar to him and Elordi, a move into franchise filmmaking just feels off-brand.

Even Mescal's most devoted fans would probably admit that Gladiator II didn't really work, despite the actor's dedicated efforts. That said, if there's one blockbuster filmmaker on earth whose approach is suited to Mescal's preferred downbeat tone, it is certainly the Canadian.

3. Callum Turner

For Bond casting boffins, Callum Turner's name has been in the mix for so long that it's kind of reached the point where no announcement feels oddly telling. Turner has the looks and the charisma, no doubt, and he's been showing his range over the last 12 months thanks to starring roles in Eternity, Rosebush Pruning, Rose of Nevada and One Night Only — four of the most varied projects you could possibly imagine.

Did something in one of those movies turn Nina Gold's casting team off? Maybe that bizarre scene with Tracy Letts in Rosebush Pruning? Or was it that Tuscan marriage with Dua Lipa? We may never know, but there is definitely a sense that his grasp on the role has loosened.

2. Jack Lowden

After four (soon to be five) seasons of playing River Cartwright on Slow Horses, Jack “Mr Saoirse Ronan” Lowden has all the training one could ever need to play a quick-witted and resourceful MI6 operative. That excellent show, weirdly enough, is also still somehow just about obscure enough that Lowden could make the transition without bringing the baggage of an awkwardly similar character with him; and more than any actor we’ve mentioned so far, the 35-year-old Englishman is genuinely funny.

At first, Villeneuve coming on board seemed to hurt his chances, but Lowden's name has remained doggedly in the conversation ever since — and the director did once hire Ryan Gosling to play a replicant, so who knows? Add to this the rumours that his better half is currently lobbying to play the villain and Lowden suddenly looks like a very tasty choice indeed.

1. Jack Barton

Do not adjust your television. If Page Six's exclusive is to be believed, a relatively unknown actor called Jack Barton is currently the frontrunner to be the next James Bond.

You might not recognise the name, but you've probably seen Barton pop up in several high-profile films and TV shows over the last few years. You can see him early on in a small role in Poor Things (he plays one of the posh guys who mocks Ramy Youssef's Max McCandless in the medical school). His most visible role to date has probably been David Nelson (the older brother of Kit Connor's Nick) in Heartstopper, but for Bond-specific roles the obvious comp is John Tonkin on Season 2 of SAS Rogue Heroes. Set during WWII, that BBC show is obviously not an exact fit for a contemporary 007, but it was certainly written by the great Steven Knight, who is also penning the script for Villeneuve's Bond.

At the end of the day, you will always find famous actors being linked as the next James Bond, but it has always gone to someone in the early stages of their career. We expect Amazon to do just that as it looks to introduce the world's most famous spy to a new generation. Will the name be Barton, Jack Barton?

I expect we'll find out as soon as Villeneuve finishes doing press for Dune: Part Three.