It could still be a few years before we find out who the next James Bond will be, but that won’t stop the world from speculating, and earlier today, the Express reported that Tom Hiddleston is currently the bookies’ favorite for the part by a notable margin.
Though the Marvel actor has long found himself near the top of the Coral rankings, the bookmaker has now slashed his odds to 2-1 after a flurry of bets were made in his favor in the last 24 hours. It’s speculated that a reason for this interest in the star is the upcoming second season of The Night Manager, which will see Hiddleston reprise his role as a spy.
In any case, Hiddleston now sits as the clear favorite, beating out the likes of James Norton (3-1), Idris Elba (4-1), and Tom Hardy (4-1). Of course, this race is still far from over, and according to a source cited by The Sun, Bond producer Barbara Broccoli hasn’t even started the search for a new 007 yet.
It’s alleged that the producer of Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig’s Bond films still feels “loyal to Daniel,” and doesn’t want to be “disrespectful” by looking for his replacement already. The Sun source stresses this point further, adding that Broccoli “cannot look beyond Daniel” and that “she values everything he has done for the franchise in the past decade.”
Regardless, it’s evident that a lot of people are already looking beyond Craig, with the fans offering predictions and suggestions that go well beyond the bookmakers’ shortlist. But regardless of who the studio ends up settling on, director Cary Fukunaga will first be hoping to give the current James Bond a worthy send-off when Bond 25 hits theaters on February 14th, 2020.
