In the past couple of weeks, the notion of Tom Hardy becoming the next James Bond has been the latest prospective casting to catch fire. But just how certain do people feel that Hardy’s nabbed the coveted and still officially uncast role? Apparently the betting world is so hot on the supposed announcement that the Venom star has scoed the role that they’ve turned out in droves to cash in on that potential news. Not only has this driven Tom Hardy’s odds to almost 'sure thing' levels, but it’s actually forced betting on his standings to be suspended.
The folks at US-Bookies have sent over the latest standings for who’s set to take over for Daniel Craig after his swan song in No Time To Die, and sure enough, Tom Hardy’s standing is currently at the top of the field. The site’s in-house betting industry analyst, Alex Donohue, made the following statement to accompany the latest 007 odds:
The next 007 is one of the biggest talking points in cinema and now oddsmakers firmly believe Tom Hardy has been chosen as the next actor for the role and are stopped taking bets on who will be the next James Bond. Hardy's odds were slashed from 5/1 to 1/3 before oddsmakers pulled the plug on the market after bets came pouring in on the Dark Knight actor, which means an official announcement could be just around the corner.
This move is a rather huge leap forward for Tom Hardy’s James Bond candidacy, as when we last took a look at the full field of odds, Hardy was standing at 8/1 odds alongside fellow potential 007 Michael Fassbender. But after a speculative report from The Vulcan Reporter ran circles around the internet, Hardy’s prospects became the next big ticket for those who wanted to call the shot before it hit the target. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the game is over for anyone else looking to get in on the action.
As of this moment, No Time To Die is on track for its November release, and it feels like until that film is released and promoted, no official announcement regarding a new James Bond will be made. Which is probably good for folks like Justice League/Enola Holmes star Henry Cavill, who recently cast out his own lure inviting James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson to once again consider him as the next 007. Unfortunately for Mr. Cavill, the top field of candidates we’ve received from US-Bookies doesn’t have him even maintaining his previous odds of 16/1. Here’s the total field of current James Bond odds:
Tom Hardy: 1/3James Norton: 7/2Sam Heughan: 5/1Richard Madden: 7/1Idris Elba: 8/1Cillian Murphy: 14/1Tom Hiddleston: 18/1Jack Lowden: 25/1
Previously reported favorite James Norton has only slid into second place, which has pushed Outlander’s Sam Heughan into the third slot respectively. Surprisingly, previous co-candidates Idris Elba and Cillian Murphy have split from their previously-held 10/1 odds standing, with Elba getting the upper hand at 8/1 and Murphy falling further back at 14/1. The greatest twist from this round of odds comes from the addition of Jack Lowden, one of the stars in Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Stephen Merchant’s Fighting With My Family, being the dark horse this time around at 25/1.
As you can see, the odds for who could be the next James Bond may have a somewhat consistent group of usual suspects, with Tom Hardy being one of the longest lasting contenders that proves that law. However, just when you think the odds are certain on anything 007, the tide can turn pretty quickly in the opposite direction. Let’s not forget that time Radiohead was nailed as the odds suspended favorite to do the title song for Spectre… only for behind the scenes wrangling to prove those bets absolutely wrong.
When an official announcement is made, you can be sure that whomever the new James Bond is will return to CinemaBlend, when the time is right. For now, No Time To Die is headed to the box office on November 20.
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