Next James Bond odds: Cillian Murphy’s chance of playing 007 increase after Oppenheimer Golden Globes success

The identity of the next James Bond actor has still not been confirmed, but one Hollywood star has seen his odds of playing the British spy jump following success at the Golden Globes.

Cillian Murphy, an Irish actor best known for playing Brummie gangster Thomas Shelby in Peaky Blinders, and more recently for starring as the father of the atomic bomb in historical biopic Oppenheimer, has had a great start to 2023.

Murphy is expected to clean up at the 2024 awards season after Oppenheimer became the third highest-grossing film of 2023 at the box office, and took home five Golden Globes this month, more than any other film.

Could Cillian Murphy be the next James Bond?

Whilst Murphy still isn’t top of the pile of potential Bond’s his chances of replacing Daniel Craig in the role are looking better than ever. When Murphy was last in contention in December 2023, he had odds of around 19/1, or 4.96% to get the role.

Murphy has now been given odds of 10/1 (9.1%) of being the next James Bond, according to William Hill, meaning that his chances have doubled in less than a month.

This is a result of a great new year for the actor, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a drama, for his role in Oppenheimer, beating Colman Domingo, Leonardo DiCaprio, Bradley Cooper, Andrew Scott, and Barry Keoghan.

The star is also nominated for gongs for his Oppenheimer performance in the Critics' Choice Movie Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards, and more, and is expected to get a nod in the Oscars too.

Who is favourite to play the next James Bond

Despite surging ahead in the race for Bond, Murphy is still far from the favourite to get the part. William Hill puts 10 actors ahead of him, with Jacob Fortune-Lloyd and Harris Dickinson at 8/1, Dev Patel and Paul Mescal at 7/1, Regé-Jean Page at 11/2, and Tom Hardy and James Norton at 5/1.

Third favourite for the role is Snowfall and Swarm star Damson Idris, who could become the first Black Bond, at odds of 7/2, the Man of Steel and Witcher star Henry Cavill is second favourite at 5/2. 

Out ahead of the pack is Kick-Ass, Bullet Train and Marvel actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson who is currently sitting on odds of 6/4, giving him a strong 40% favourability.