Theo James has emerged as a new likely candidate to take on the role of James Bond following Daniel Craig's departure from the iconic spy film franchise.
James Bond fans have been waiting on tenterhooks for news on Craig's replacement ever since he announced he was stepping down back in 2019.
In the five years since, Bond fans have been left without much information on who the next 007 will be, although it was reported earlier this year that Bullet Train star Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been "offered" the role.
However, Eon Productions, the studio behind Bond, poured cold water on these claims and fellow bosses at Amazon MGM confirmed earlier this month that a decision still hasn't been made.
Taylor-Johnson too has remained evasive when quizzed on potentially taking on the part but with so much time passing, his odds of being confirmed as the next Bond have wavered.
So much so, James has headed on an upward trajectory in betting markets and now poses a stiff threat to Taylor-Johnson's hopes.
Next James Bond: Theo James has emerged as a likely candidate to play Bond
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In fact, Taylor-Johnson has seen his chances go from odds-on to much less favourable.
He remains the favourite for the role, however, with some bookmakers pricing him at 11/10 to land the Bond role.
James is close behind him in the stakes according to the latest odds, surging all the way to a 5/2 punt after being as far behind as 12/1.
Spokesperson for William Hill, Lee Phelps, explained the shift in the market, saying: "The search for the next James Bond is hotting up and we have seen a lot of support for British actor Theo James, who has narrowed from as big as 12/1 into 5/2 second favourite.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson was reportedly offered the role of Bond earlier this year
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“Being preceded by Aaron Taylor-Johnson who has been as short as 2/5 to step into 007's shoes, but has now drifted to 11/10 in the market.
"James may well have caught the eye of executives with his performance in The Gentleman.
“There are still many names in the conversation, with Paul Mescal and Callum Taylor next in the market, both at 4/1, and James Norton a 5/1 shot.”
Taylor-Johnson and James are also far from the only big names being tipped for the role too.
Punters can fetch 4/1 odds on Paul Mescal and Callum Turner while Happy Valley's James Norton remains in the running at 5/1.
News of James's surge in the market comes weeks after Amazon MGM Studios' global head Jennifer Salke spoke out about the length of time it's taken to find Craig's replacement.
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Salke was part of the Amazon ensemble that bought MGM in 2021 for $8.5 billion - although Amazon MGM still has to contend with Eon which has retained control of the Bond franchise.
Salke told the Guardian in a rather rare insight this month: "There are a lot of ideas [about potential actors] that have popped up that I thought are interesting.
"I think there are a lot of different ways we can go. We have a good and close relationship with Eon and Barbara (Broccoli) and Michael (G Wilson).
"We are not looking to disrupt the way those wonderful films are made. For us, we are taking their lead. The global audience will be patient. We don’t want too much time between films, but we are not concerned at this point," Salke added.
