James Bond shake-up: Two high-profile actors could play 007 after ‘secret screen tests’

Jacob Stolworthy Sat, November 7, 2026 at 11:32 AM UTC

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Two more high-profile stars have emerged as frontrunners to play James Bond, shaking and stirring up the casting process that was believed to be all but announced.

Five actors are now reportedly in contention for the role, despite claims that four had auditioned in recent weeks: Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden, who is the current favourite, Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, and another star whose identity was unknown.

The name of that mystery actor is believed to have been leaked, alongside a surprise fifth, with Deadline reporting that Nicholas Hoult and Robert Pattinson also had secret screen tests.

Nicholas Hoult has reportedly tested for James Bond (AFP/Getty)

Hoult and Pattinson would be intriguing choices for the role, considering their A-list status and existing fame at this point in their respective careers, which might only be rivalled by Roger Moore, who was widely known for his role in TV series The Saint.

Pattinson will next star in Dune: Part 3, which is directed by forthcoming Bond filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who has been sitting in on the screen tests. The Independent has contacted Amazon Studios for comment.

Last week, Lowden addressed the persistent rumours he would be the next Bond, calling them “flattering”.

“It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I’m just not really going to add to the noise,” he told GQ, adding: “I don’t really listen to it.”

Lowden, who’ll next play Mr Darcy in Netflix’s Pride and Prejudice series, continued: “As a young male actor, generally, the minute you’re not playing a zany artist type, the minute you’re in a suit, people fling it at you.”

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Meanwhile, O’Connor said “to be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary”, telling The Hollywood Reporter that reading the reports had been “such an incredibly bizarre pinch me moment”.

“Even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that,” he continued.

Robert Pattinson is reportedly one of the mysterious actors who secretly tested for Bond (AP)

Speaking to The Independent earlier this year about the process, retired casting director Debbie McWilliams – who helped put Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig in Bond’s shoes over the years – said that “it is absolutely essential that [Bond] retains a total enigma,” adding: “We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are.

“We don’t where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives … He’s licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don’t, then you’ve lost the audience.”

The new Bond film, to be directed by Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, follows Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond in No Time To Die, which was released in October 2021 after being delayed by the pandemic.

Amazon made a controversial purchase of the franchise’s long-time backers at MGM Studios in January 2025, taking control of the much-loved series.

Last month, Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who is writing the next movie, revealed that the character had been cast – and hinted that he’s been writing with one particular actor in mind.

Jack Lowden is currently the favourite to become new Bond (AFP/Getty)

When asked whether he had written the film to fit the chosen actor or based on what he already knew about the character, he told Radio 4’s Today programme: “It’s a bit of both. It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor.”

When quizzed about when exactly he found out who was going to succeed Craig in the role, Knight squirmed, adding: “I’ll refer you to my previous answer.”

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”