Next James Bond: Which actors are ruled out as rumoured release date of next 007 film leaked?

It has been almost four years since we last saw Bond in action, with Daniel Craig’s swansong No Time To Die releasing back in 2021. Now, reports have emerged that Amazon MGM Studios, which recently gained full creative control of the franchise, have “fast-tracked” the next Bond film’s production.

According to reports, the next James Bond film will be released in cinemas by the end of 2027, and will have a budget of around £250m - the same amount as the most recent film. Speaking to the Sun, a source said: “The Bond bosses had already proposed broad plots and reboot ideas. The writers’ rooms are being assembled in the hope of recouping their investment.”

Most Bond films are released around October/November, which puts a bit of a crunch on pre-production, filming and crucially, casting. We have speculated for years about who might be the next James Bond - now it’s time for executives to finally make a decision.

But with such a tight schedule, and many actors already having plans for the next few years, this rumoured release date seems to put quite a few stars out of contention. Based on their upcoming projects, here are some actors who now likely won’t be cast as the next 007.

Henry Cavill

Having auditioned for the role of James Bond before Daniel Craig was given the role, the Witcher and Superman star is probably going to be passed up once again. It isn’t a question of his acting talents, but rather his packed schedule.

Over the next couple of years, Cavill is working on projects like Enola Holmes and the Warhammer 40k series - for which he is working as both actor and producer. The latter is likely to occupy most of his time until the first series or two has been broadcast.

As a result, Cavill, 41, probably isn’t available to film the next James Bond film in the required timeframe.

Rege-Jean Page

While some actors like to completely fill their schedules, Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page tends to take a different approach. He will typically take on one role at a time, immersing himself in a project before moving on to the next one.

Having recently featured alongside Michael Fassbender in the thriller Black Bag, Page is currently working on an untitled western series about Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and has reportedly signed on to star and produce a new Count of Monte Cristo series.

These will likely occupy most of his time for the coming couple of years, ruling him out of becoming Bond despite endorsements from the likes of Fassbender and Naoime Harris - who also played Eve Moneypenny during Craig’s era.

Paul Mescal

This is a controversial one to eliminate from the running, but hear me out on this one.

Paul Mescal’s current filming schedule isn’t a minefield like Henry Cavill’s, and he tends to take on more roles at once than Rege-Jean Page. He is currently working on multiple upcoming projects, according to IMDB - but The History Of Sound has been completed and Hamnet is in post-production.

But Mescal is establishing himself as a breakout Hollywood star, and the lure of sequels and other big franchises could well come calling.

Following the success of Glatiator II, Mescal could easily star in a sequel to complete the trilogy - his character survived the second film and would be the lead in a third outing, too. At the same time, he could be tempted to join another big franchise before Bond comes calling.

According to reports, Mescal is being considered as an option to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) after the Secret Wars / multiverse saga comes to an end. Fans have speculated that he could lead the line for the X-Men if cast as Cyclops, or could be introduced as Ghost Rider if the character is brought back into the fold.