- Paul Mescal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton have been rumored to be the next James Bond
- And now Outlander star Sam Heughan has joined the lengthy list
- The Scottish actor kept his cards close to his chest in a recent interview
James Bond is a role that many actors dream of.
But with the likes of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, James Norton and Paul Mescal all rumored to be up for 007, a new contender is being whispered about.
Outlander star Sam Heughan is the latest name to have his name attached to what is being dubbed Bond 26 – the next movie in the franchise.
But if Heughan, 44, does know anything about the project, he’s playing his cards very close to his chest.
Of the possibility that he could be the next 007, Heughan said, “I don’t know. I certainly haven’t heard anything.”
And making a very fair point, he added, “I know every British actor that’s ever worn a suit is probably talked about [in connection with the Bond role] at some point.”
Sam Heughan is a ‘huge fan’ of James Bond
While Heughan’s rise to fame was largely thanks to playing the kilt-wearing 18th-century Scotsman Jamie Fraser in Outlander – which first premiered in 2014 – he’s no stranger to spy films… as he took on a role in the 2018 comedy action flick, The Spy Who Dumped Me.
And many fans think that the actor could be perfect for the part, especially as a tribute to Sean Connery – the original James Bond who, like Heughan, was Scottish.
As a further clue, Outlander has officially wrapped on its eighth and final season, leaving Heughan with a lot of spare time on his hands.
“I don’t know if I’d go from one iconic character to the next,” he admitted. “Certainly, it would be a great undertaking. But look, I’m a huge fan of James Bond.
“I was recently in Switzerland where they shot part of [the 1962 Bond movie] Dr. No and sat in the same seat that Sean Connery had a martini in.”
Heughan then joked, “Or I’m not sure if he had a martini – probably a Swiss beer.”
“[It] was cool. It was cool to see a bit of history.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson may not play Bond
The rumors about Heughan come after an industry insider hinted that Taylor-Johnson may have dashed his chances of playing Bond – after his latest movie was a box office flop.
Back in March 2023, it seemed to be all but confirmed that the actor, 34, was set to take on the role of the MI6 secret agent.
But after nothing was officially announced, sources are now saying that bosses are worried that Taylor-Johnson doesn’t have the “credentials” to take on 007 after his lead role in Kraven the Hunter.
Latest figures show that the film only banked $60 million globally, despite costing around $107 million to produce.
On its first weekend in the US, it played in over 3200 theaters – but earned just $11 million. Similarly, the movie only managed to make $15 million internationally across 60 markets.
“Kraven has been a real disaster for Sony and a really tough break for Aaron,” a source revealed. “It is not that he was bad in the film or had no screen presence, but the script just didn’t appeal to fans.
“The bigger question is how this impacts how producers in town, and especially Bond executives, view him.”
