Next James Bond Odds: Callum Turner Backed To Replace Daniel Craig As 007
The Next James Bond odds have shifted dramatically at the betting sites this week – and Amazon MGM's confirmation that casting is officially underway is driving the movement.
Variety reported on Wednesday that Game of Thrones casting director Nina Gold has been brought in by Amazon MGM to find the next 007, with auditions having begun "in the past few weeks."
It is the firmest news the market has had since Denis Villeneuve was confirmed as director last June and Steven Knight signed on to write the screenplay in July.
That follows months of speculation, the handover of full creative control from Eon to Amazon MGM, and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman reportedly briefing they want a younger, British actor who is not yet a household name.
With Daniel Craig long gone and the field narrowing fast, the bookies have already reacted.
So if Bond 26 has its leading man on the way, who steps in?
Here at FreeBets.com, we've run through the six most likely candidates, their odds, and what the markets are telling us.
Next James Bond Odds
With auditions live and Villeneuve due to wrap Dune: Part Three before serious screen tests begin, the next James Bond market is one of the busiest non-sport books on the board.
Below, we assess six realistic candidates who could be next in line to be handed a licence to kill.
| Candidate | Next James Bond Odds |
| Callum Turner | 6/5 |
| Jacob Elordi | 3/1 |
| Aaron Taylor-Johnson | 5/1 |
| Henry Cavill | 6/1 |
| Theo James | 8/1 |
| Harris Dickinson | 10/1 |
Odds correct as of Friday, 15 May, 12:00pm - courtesy of Ladbrokes
Callum Turner
Callum Turner heads the market for a reason.
The Masters of the Air lead has shortened from 6/4 to 6/5 over the last fortnight on the back of Amazon MGM's casting confirmation, repeated Daily Mail briefings calling him "the worst-kept secret in town," and a profile that ticks every box producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are said to want.
He is British, over six feet, late thirties at most, and according to Deadline's well-sourced September 2025 reporting, exactly the "fresh face" the producers prefer over an established A-lister.
The Dua Lipa engagement adds narrative weight, too, with his fiancée a touted contender to sing the Bond 26 theme song.
Our verdict: Turner as the current market favourite is the right call. He fits the brief Pascal and Heyman have been quietly briefing for months, and the casting director is now in the building. At 6/5 the value has gone, but the case for him is strong.
Jacob Elordi
Jacob Elordi is the dramatic mover of the year, into 3/1 from 5/4 after a brief stint at the top in March.
The Saltburn and Wuthering Heights star fits the Fleming "blunt instrument" brief at 6ft 5, and Variety listed him on Amazon MGM's reported wishlist alongside Harris Dickinson and Tom Holland.
Crucially, though, two things have stalled his run: Deadline's repeated insistence that the role is going to a British actor, and a foot injury last week that forced him off the Cannes jury.
The drawbacks are familiar: he is Australian, not British, and the producers have been clear on the nationality question.
But money is talking, and the market move tells you a Hollywood A-list compromise is still a live scenario rather than a hypothetical.
Our verdict: Elordi at 3/1 is a binary punt on the producers ignoring their own stated British preference. If you think Amazon's commercial instincts overrule Pascal's casting brief, he is the bet.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has had a dramatic 12 months - and not for good reasons.
The long-time market favourite was reportedly screen-tested under the old Eon regime and treated by some tabloids as a done deal as recently as autumn 2024.
That should have ended the betting.
Instead, the handover to Amazon MGM, the appointment of Villeneuve and Knight, and the producers' apparent preference for an unknown have given Turner exactly what he needed: a clean reset of the board.
Taylor-Johnson has drifted from 3/1 favourite to 5/1 over the last six months and will be 36-37 by the planned 2027 shoot - borderline for a multi-film commitment.
The Omega ambassador deal is now being treated by some in the trade as a consolation prize rather than a tell.
Our verdict: Taylor-Johnson is more likely to anchor the next Bond-adjacent franchise than play 007 himself. A hold rather than a buy at 5/1.
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill's presence in this market is all about one scenario - Amazon MGM wanting global box-office insurance, rather than anything tied to the casting brief itself.
The Witcher and Argylle star turned 42 in 2025 and signed as a Longines ambassador last year, with the polling case for an established leading man stronger than at any point in his career.
The path to the role, though, remains narrow.
A 42-year-old Bond requires Villeneuve to ignore the brief he has reportedly been working to, and Amazon's rebooted timeline points firmly away from a near-Craig-aged lead.
Cavill is also rumoured to be circling the Highlander reboot, which would rule him out entirely.
Our verdict: If you believe Amazon will reach for proven star power rather than back the casting director's brief, Cavill at 6/1 is the play. A long-term hold for the box-office-insurance scenario.
Theo James
Theo James has steadily drifted from 6/4 favourite to 8/1 with Paddy Power after a strong run earlier in the year.
The White Lotus and Gentlemen star is British, the right age, and has the kind of leading-man profile Bond has long traded on.
The problem is that he is exactly the kind of recognisable name the producers have repeatedly said they want to avoid.
If Amazon MGM softens on the "unknown" brief, James is the most ready-made Bond on the shortlist.
Our verdict: James at 8/1 is fair, with the proviso that everything about the producers' messaging points away from his profile. Value play if the casting brief shifts.
Harris Dickinson
Harris Dickinson is the dark-horse pick the trade keeps quietly mentioning.
The Babygirl and Triangle of Sadness star is on Amazon MGM's reported shortlist per Variety, and at 28, fits both the British-under-30 brief and Steven Knight's reputation for bone-crunching protagonists.
He has shortened from 14/1 to 10/1 over the last month on the back of the Variety shortlist report and growing recognition that Pascal's "fresh face" preference plays directly into his hand.
Our verdict: Dickinson at 10/1 is the standout each-way bet in this market. He profiles closest to the brief Deadline has been reporting, he is on the audition list, and the price has further to come in if he gets to screen tests.
A clear-cut announcement is unlikely before late 2026, with shooting targeted at 2027 and a 2028 release window, so this market will keep moving on rumour for some months yet. Expect prices to swing every time Variety or Deadline drops a name.
