Every James Bond actor has sat on a secret for months, sometimes years, before the world learns the role is theirs.
That cycle is running again, as Amazon and director Denis Villeneuve work through a shortlist for the next 007, and on Kalshi, traders are turning the guessing game into something you can watch move in real time. You know the number… but you don't know the man. Who will be the next Bond, James Bond?
How Amazon Is Casting the Next 007
The search looks different this time.
Amazon bought out longtime Bond stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson last year, taking full control of the franchise for the first time. Denis Villeneuve, coming off Dune: Part Three, will direct the film often called Bond 26, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the script and Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing.
Filming isn't expected until 2027, but the casting search has reportedly narrowed, with several actors going through formal screen tests. Pascal has hinted fans could learn Bond's identity before the year ends, though nothing is official.
The Full Shortlist for the Next James Bond Actor
Reports over the past week point to seven actors currently in contention, per coverage from various sources:
- Callum Turner: known for Fantastic Beasts and Masters of the Air; the long-standing frontrunner, though his lead has narrowed fast.
- Jack Barton: the least familiar name here, with credits in Heartstopper and Rogue Heroes; multiple reports call him the surprise frontrunner
- Jack Lowden: recognizable from Slow Horses and Dunkirk; barely registered until this month.
- Jack O'Connell: drawing praise for Sinners; named in some reports as one of the final three.
- Jacob Elordi: at 29, the youngest of the group, known for Euphoria and Wuthering Heights, though his Australian background has fed debate over a role tied to British leads.
- Harris Dickinson: already played a spy in The King's Man, and linked to Bond longer than most others here.
- Paul Mescal: an unexpected addition, since he's currently playing Paul McCartney in Sam Mendes' upcoming Beatles films.
Could the Next Bond Be Younger Than Usual?
Several reports say Amazon wants an actor in his late 20s or early 30s, a shift from the more seasoned Bonds of the Daniel Craig era.
The timing lines up with 007: First Light, IO Interactive's video game that reimagined Bond as a 26-year-old field agent and landed well with players earlier this year, though it's impossible to confirm whether that shaped casting.
Former casting director Debbie McWilliams has long argued the role works best with someone audiences don't already know: "It is absolutely essential that he retains a total enigma," she said in June, which helps explain Barton's rise.
It's worth remembering, too, that this shortlist includes only the one making headlines. Bond has a history of going with names nobody saw coming, so the pick could still land outside this group.
What Kalshi's Market Shows Right Now
On Kalshi, the Next James Bond film: Actor cast as James Bond market runs a separate contract per actor, letting traders weigh in on individual names rather than one winner.
For most of the past year, Callum Turner traded well out in front, while Barton and Lowden barely registered. That flipped this month: as the new shortlist reports broke, Barton and Lowden jumped from near zero to essentially tie Turner at the front, with O'Connell, Elordi, and Dickinson trailing behind.
It's one of the sharpest reshuffles this market has seen: a reminder that today's leader can look very different a week from now.
Who's Most Likely to Land the Role
Seven names feel about right for where this search stands, and there's no clean way to separate real progress from actors' teams working the press.
Our guess, if it comes down to four: Jack Lowden, Jack O'Connell, Jacob Elordi, and Paul Mescal.
Lowden has the theater and prestige-TV background Villeneuve tends to favor, O'Connell has real momentum after landing in the "final three" reports, Elordi brings the star power any marketing team would want, and Mescal's spot on this list at all suggests the studio is looking past the obvious names.
The next Bond will eventually give up the secret everyone's trying to guess right now. Until Amazon makes it official, expect the shortlist to keep shifting and this Kalshi market to keep adjusting. Check back as the picture gets clearer: this mission isn't over yet.
