While mystery still surrounds the identity of the next James Bond – or exactly how producers will get round the necessary change of narrative required after 007’s last outing – fans are now convinced they have uncovered which actor will be scooping up the licence to kill.
With Daniel Craig hanging up the tux after his fifth and final outing, 2021’s No Time to Die, speculation is rife with fans on the lookout for clues – and they think they’ve landed a big one.
Citadel co-stars Stanley Tucci and Richard Madden united for an Instagram video on Friday, with the pair giggling seemingly conspiratorially as they both enjoyed a Martini (famously 007’s drink of choice).
Tucci asked Madden, “How’s yours?” And the reply was, “Delicious.” Cue storm of fans, convinced this was the ‘in’ on the new casting.
Comments went along the lines of “There you go, the new James Bond” and the enthusiastic “To the gods of 007 this is a no brainer.”
Bookies currently have British actor Paapa Essiedu (The Gangs of London, The Capture) as the favourite for the highly-prized role, with stars James Norton, Regé Jean-Page, Tom Hardy, Chiwetel Ejiofor and Henry Cavill also in the mix. Last year Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson was revealed to have taken part in a screen test.
Idris Elba is one star to have definitively walked away from the role, with his Luther TV series now enjoying its own big-screen spin-off, but, until producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson confirm their new choice of actor, speculation will inevitably involve any actor who looks half presentable in a dinner jacket.