When we last poked our heads into the world of the odds to become the next James Bond, Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page topped the list of would-be candidates to inherit the role. Recent reporting has done very little to dispel that notion. However, some new developments have seen an MCU actor gaining steam to succeed Daniel Craig after No Time To Die’s release. For those of you eager to see Simu Liu in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings next weekend, you may want to pay closer attention, as he’s now a Bond candidate to watch.
Thanks to an unnamed source who spoke with Page Six, Regé-Jean Page is one of the names that James Bond franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are allegedly considering for the honors. But even in this contained context, there are two other names that are also rumored to be circulating among the halls of EON Productions. Also on the docket of discussion is The Witcher’s Henry Cavill and 1917’s George McKay, which makes for some interesting discussion we can jump into down the line.
As for Simu Liu’s odds, even though they’ve been bolstered by his big MCU debut, his prospects are still an outside chance. According to Express, Liu has been reported by betting firm Ladbrokes as standing at a 16/1 chance. Though on the brighter side, Express and Ladbrokes had Simu Liu at 20/1 last week, which has been credited to the overwhelmingly positive response to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
So what does the field look like at this moment? Odds-wise, Tom Hardy is indeed still a strong player in the odds game, with 4/1 odds reported at the same time Simu Liu saw his big boost. But Regé-Jean Page is reported with favorable odds sitting at 5/6, maintaining the healthy lead he’s held onto for some time. However, looking past the numbers, some interesting factors should be considered.
Most importantly, Simu Liu and Regé-Jean Page are currently engaged in roles that could see them bound by contract for some time. Liu is obviously under a Marvel contract that might have him tied into a handful of appearances throughout the MCU, and Page just recently added Paramount’s reboot of The Saint to a dance card that already includes The Gray Man and Dungeons & Dragons.
One final point of discussion is the fact that Henry Cavill’s name is being more prominently rumored for a post-No Time To Die casting. While his work on The Witcher is a contractual obligation in its own right, and Cavill is scratching a similar itch in Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming Argylle, he has some historical superstition on his side. Much like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, he does have the chance of accepting the role on the second time around. Not to mention that he’s already screen tested for the role in the past, having been in the running for 2006’s Casino Royale; which makes him familiar to the folks at EON Productions.
As always, until the release cycle of No Time To Die runs its course, we won't see any concrete actions taking place. Betting odds can be easily overturned, and what was once a sure thing can become a fading competitor. The potential road to the future for any of these prospects begins when Daniel Craig’s final James Bond movie opens on September 30 in the UK and October 8 in the US.
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