It’s now been more than four years since James Bond’s last outing in No Time To Die, but the 007 drought will be coming to an end.
Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is now on board to direct a script written by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight which will become the as-yet-untitled Bond 26.
But we still don’t know who will take on the title role and become the eighth actor to place the part following Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig.
Since Daniel Craig hung up his tux there have been many different actors rumoured to be in the frame, but all bets were off when Barbara Broccoli and her half brother Michael G. Wilson, who have handpicked the Bond actors since the 1990s, signed over ‘full creative control’ to Amazon MGM Studios.
Here are the 17 actors who now stand the best chance of taking on the part and enjoying their martinis shaken not stirred.
17. Paul Mescal - 40/1
There have been few more talked about actors in the last few years than Ireland's Paul Mescal, from breakout television show 'Normal People' and an Oscar-nominated performance in 'Aftersun', to starring in one of last year's biggest blockbusters, 'Gladiator 2'. He's also been confirmed to play Paul McCartney in a new film about The Beatles. He shot up to second favourite a few months ago, but his odds have now cooled to 40/1, possibly because it's questionable as to whether he would accept the role given his current success - including being tipped for an Academy Award for playing Shakespeare in 'Hamnet'. | Getty Images for BFI