Fans 'Caught Off Guard' As New Actor Emerges As Rumoured Top Pick To Play James Bond

Five more stars are also rumoured to be screen testing in the near future.

The casting process for the next actor to lead the James Bond franchise seems to be nearing an end.

Back in May, five years after Daniel Craig’s last outing as the iconic British spy in No Time To Die, 007 bosses confirmed that they’d officially begun “the search for the next James Bond”.

“While we don’t plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we’re excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right,” a spokesperson said, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi all thought to be the hot favourites for the role at that time.

On Wednesday, Page Six reported that the next stage of the process was screen tests, with six actors left in consideration.

According to the outlet’s “insiders” Jack Barton is bosses’ new top pick for the job, after impressing filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and casting director Nina Gold.

Jack is somewhat less well-known than some of the other actors previously tipped for the 007 gig, but he did play John Tonkin in SAS: Rogue Heroes and Kit Connor’s on-screen brother in Netflix’s Heartstopper.

Page Six also claimed that five more stars will be doing screen tests imminently, alleging that the previously-rumoured Jack Lowden, Callum........

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