Next James Bond odds: Aaron Taylor-Johnson no longer the favourite to become 007 as bookies update numbers

For almost a year now, Taylor-Johnson (famed for his roles in Bullet Train and Avengers: Age of Ultron) has been the favourite to pick up the mantle of 007. The English actor was rumoured to have had meetings with Amazon MGM Studios executives about the role, and reportedly was even offered a contract.

But so much time has passed, and it’s now more than three years since Bond’s last outing - Daniel Craig’s swansong movie No Time To Die. Although Amazon bosses have told fans to be “patient” with the franchise’s future, we just can’t help but speculate.

Now, the bookies have revised their odds, and Taylor-Johnson is no longer the frontrunner for the role. The logic behind this is seemingly that if he was offered a contract all those months ago, and signed it, we would have heard something by now.

Instead, an Irish actor has taken a slim lead in the betting odds, with his role in the recent Gladiator II movie propelling him up the list.

Jake Ashton, entertainment betting expert at OLBG, said: “Paul Mescal has now shortened into favourite to be the next James Bond after bookies sensationally slashed his odds on Monday morning. The Irish actor, currently starring in Gladiator II, is now top of the betting market for the iconic role as producers still look for their leading man.”

Mescal, 28, is a Bafta Award-winning actor for his role in Normal People (2020) and has starred in movies like All of Us Strangers and Aftersun.

Here are the full odds for the next James Bond, accurate at the time of publication:

Paul Mescal - 6/4

Aaron Taylor-Johnson - 7/4

Theo James - 7/2

Jack Lowden - 5/1

James Norton - 6/1

Callum Turner - 7/1