Anyone hoping we’ll hear casting news in the world of James Bond movies knows it’s going to be a while. Barbara Broccoli herself has said that Bond 26 will start filming in two years, and without a script there’s no 007 to be cast. That’s not going to stop the betting crowd from making their wagers, and the latest update has seen Regé-Jean Page losing his top slot in the running to one of two frequent competitors that have given the other fellas hell.
Henry Cavill Tops The James Bond Odds Once Again, While Tom Hardy’s Back At Number 3
Betting firm Ladbrokes has updated their stats for who the public feel will be the next face of Commander Bond. Yet again, Henry Cavill has taken the top spot from frequent frontrunner Page. The full field of competitors, as seen below, also sees Tom Hardy regaining his spot in third place. Here’s the current landscape in the James Bond betting race:
- Henry Cavill (3/1)
- Regé-Jean Page (7/2)
- Tom Hardy/Chiwetel Ejiofor (6/1)
- Aidan Turner/Idris Elba (10/1)
- James Norton (12/1)
- Richard Madden (16/1)
Time and again, familiar faces have shifted in the rankings for the next James Bond. Even before the Daniel Craig era of 007 officially ended, the candidates you see before you have been jockeying for position. If there’s any huge movement on this table, it’s the 6/1 tie that Tom Hardy shares with fellow Marvel film star Chiwetel Ejiofor. Strangely enough, Ejiofor has gone from supposedly once being up for the role of Blofeld in Spectre to a hot ticket for the new James Bond.
Even in the shadow of that new development, the top spots are showing the same sort of movement we’ve seen in the past. As Bridgerton alum Regé-Jean Page is about to show another side of his range in the Netflix action film The Gray Man, and Henry Cavill is set to star as another superspy in Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle, these heavy hitters continue to battle it out for supremacy. Which leads us all to a question that continues to surface in the current moment.
Is The James Bond Casting Race Really Just Henry Cavill Vs. Regé-Jean Page?
This competition is far from over, and we’ve still seen an overwhelming presence of the same names moving up and down the line. However, Cavill vs. Page seems to be the fight that the betting odds are priming the world for time and again. Regé-Jean Page has been the comparatively cooler customer, booking the lead role in The Saint reboot in the meantime. Page takes any Bond talk in stride, so if he’s sweating this thing out, the actor’s certainly not showing it.
Meanwhile, Henry Cavill has been more forthcoming with wanting to play James Bond. Though he isn’t pushing particularly hard, Cavill’s been open to 007 talks from day one. Considering he was one of the eight actors tested for Casino Royale, it may seem like a no-brainer that The Witcher star is still ready to go. Should the assumption that Henry Cavill and Regé-Jean Page are the top competitors for the next Bond extend to the official decision process, that’s going to present a potential challenge on both ends.
Potential long term gigs like Page’s The Gray Man and The Saint, or Cavill’s Argylle and The Witcher could see contractual obligations throwing a wrench in the works for either. It’s exactly what kept Pierce Brosnan out of The Living Daylights, and James Bond fans still pine over that massive “what if?” It’s all something to consider as we move forward, even if you’re pulling for Tom Hardy to jump into the driver’s seat in the end.
In the meantime, you can revisit almost the entire James Bond legacy (minus Spectre), should you have an Amazon Prime subscription. While you’re putting your Prime status to the test, don’t forget to check out the current deals running for Amazon Prime Day 2022, which runs between July 12th and 13th!