Jordan Karlesson
Idris Elba is back atop the stack of candidates to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond — for now, at least.
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Luther star Elba recently took the lead to take over as 007, knocking down Henry Cavill from the top of the list. The rumor mill might cause those chances to change, but for now, Elba has the number one spot.
Idris Elba leads the list of Bond candidates as of August 8 on betting website Ladbrokes, by odds of seven to two. He took down Cavill, who had the lead last month after posting a video on his Instagram account showing him gazing at an Aston Martin, Bond’s car of choice. Cavill now has odds of four to one.
Tied with Cavill on the list is Page, who stars in the new Netflix film The Gray Man. Rounding out the list are Tom Hardy (five to one), Chiwetel Ejiofor (six to one), and Aidan Turner and James Norton (12 to one), and Richard Madden (20 to one).
The rumor mill thinks it goes to someone else…
Meanwhile, showbiz reporter Ross King suggested — also on August 8 — that Ladbrokes bettors are way off with their predictions. He said producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have laid down a rule that would discount most of the candidates on the betting list.
“The latest rumor — and in some ways part of this is very much true — which is, basically, the Bond producers are looking for a younger Bond. Someone probably in their 30s,” he recently said, according to Express UK.
The tabloid included Ross’ grist in reference to other rumors that Outlander star Sam Heughan might be in the running for the British spy role. But Express swept those rumors under the rug after King’s gossip.
Cavill has consistently topped the list of contenders to play the next James Bond after Daniel Craig’s sendoff in 2021’s No Time to Die. Filming of the next installment in the long-running British spy series is scheduled to start filming in about two years.
