According to bookmaker Coral, Grantchester actor James Norton is now the odds-on favourite to be the next James Bond. He has now been backed into a price of 1/2 to get the role when Daniel Craig leaves the franchise. However, this market movement has all been despite the actor himself saying that he hasn’t been approached to be the next 007.
John Hill, a spokesperson for Coral, said: “James Norton’s stock as an actor is increasing all the time and we feel it won’t be long before he is approached to replace Daniel Craig as the next 007.”
Tom Hardy, a long-standing favourite in the market is there at 7/2 with Coral behind Norton and then comes The American Hustle’s Jack Huston (4-1), Poldark’s Aidan Turner (12-1), Tom Hiddleston (14-1) and Idris Elba (16-1).
With the recent Doctor Who role going to Jodie Whittaker, there is 5/1 odds at Coral on the next James Bond being played by a female actress. Recently a James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said that she “wouldn’t hesitate” to break condition to have a female or black actor play Bond because “These films tend to reflect the times, so we always try to push the envelope a little bit.”
Daniel Craig is still in action as James Bond. He had initially decided that he was no longer going to do the role after Spectre, but he has stayed on to take the role again for the fifth time, in what will be the 25th Bond movie.
