Yesterday was International James Bond Day, so in honour of that, let’s look at the leading contenders to take on the role of the iconic spy.
You might be shaken – possibly even stirred – to know that October 5 was International James Bond Day. The British Spy, who has featured in more than 20 movies over the past 60 years, has been played by a range of hugely famous actors including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby and, most recently, Daniel Craig. But Craig has moved on from the role and, as yet, nobody has been confirmed to be stepping into his tuxedo.
But who are the leading contenders? Here’s some of the favourites – and a couple of outsiders:
Callum Turner
One name that has crept up to be a leading contender for the role of Bond is Callum Turner. The 35-year-old started out as a model, before turning to acting in 2011. Serving his time in a variety of low-budget films and TV shows, he steadily built his reputation in the industry. He first gained international recognition playing the brother of Newt Scamander in the Fantastic Beasts movies. He has since been in movies such as The Boys in the Boat (2023) and TV series such as Masters of the Air (2024).
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been one of the favourites to take on the 007 mantle since it was announced that Craig wouldn’t be reprising the role. He fits the bill in terms of looks, age and nationality, and he has a decent acting CV too. One of his early breakthrough films was as the title character in Kick-Ass (2010) and 2013 sequel. Since then, he has had roles in the MCU, as well as starring roles in horror films Nosferatu (2024) and 28 Years Later (2025).
Henry Cavill
One of the biggest names that has consistently run high in the betting for the Bond role is Henry Cavill. Probably still most famous for playing Superman in three films in the first attempt at a DC Extended Universe, the 42-year-old has carved out an impressive career in recent years. Roles have included as Sherlock Holmes in the Enola Holmes series (2020-) and as Geralt of Rivia in Netflix series The Witcher (2019-23).
Harris Dickinson
One of the younger contenders for the role at age 29, Harris Dickinson has built up a reputation as an up-and-coming star in recent years. Some of his more noted roles have been in The King’s Man (2021) – the third in the Kingsman series – Where the Crawdads Sing (2022), The Iron Claw (2023) and Babygirl (2024). Harris is also a budding director – hit debut feature film, Urchin, won the FIPRESCI Prize at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.
Jack Lowden
Scottish actor Jack Lowden, 35, is another that has featured consistently in the Bond betting in the past couple of years. He is possibly best known for playing River Carwright in Slow Horses (2022-) alongside Sir Gary Oldman, who was recently knighted. On the big screen, Lowden was in Christopher Nolan epic Dunkirk (2017), played Morrissey in England Is Mine (2017), and was Lord Darnley in Mary Queen of Scots (2018).
The outsiders
When any iconic role is up for grabs, there are always names bandied about, but with little chance to take on the role. In this case, Tom Holland has been mentioned – he is English, after all – but presumably his is busy with Spider-Man at the moment. James Norton is another name that has taken some betting and while he is a respected actor – and the right age – he is more famous for his work on TV than in films.
