James Bond Frontrunners Get Official Feedback From Ian Fleming's Successor

Published Sep 19, 2026, 4:23 PM EDT Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay. Sign in to your ScreenRant account 007 author Charlie Higson addresses the James Bond 26 frontunners. Following Daniel Craig's explosive exit from the franchise in 2021 with No Time To Die, the search is now on for his replacement. Director Denis Villeneuve is confirmed to be directing the upcoming Bond 26 for Amazon, with actors like Jack Lowden and Callum Turner reportedly top contenders for the lead role. In a recent interview with The Times, Higson, who has penned a handful of Bond novels with the blessing of the Ian Fleming estate, including the Young Bond series, comments on Lowden as the next 007, expressing that he's "not sure" the Scottish actor is the right fit. "I like him," Higson says, "But it’s like when Tom Hiddleston was in the running – not a convincing hand-to-hand fighter.” Higson continues: “With Daniel Craig you can believe him kicking the s*** out of someone. And you’ve got to believe that with Bond.” As for some of the other actors reported to be in the running, Higson says that Turner has "unconventional looks” but that this is “no bad thing.” Regarding Jacob Elordi, the author says he's "too tall." Beyond his own opinions on the actors said to be in the running, Higson makes clear that he doesn't have any inside knowledge on the casting process. "Are they gonna go for a much younger Bond?” he asks. “Are they gonna go for an established name, something we’ve not heard of? It’ll be interesting. It’s quite exciting.” Lowden, 36, is best known for playing River Cartwright in Apple TV's acclaimed Slow Horses, and he's tied with Turner as the oldest of those widely considered to be in the top three. Elordi is 29, Harris Dickinson is 30, and Jack Barton, a more under-the-radar pick who was only recently reported to be in the running, is 31. No release date has been set for Bond 26 just yet, but screenwriter Steven Knight revealed last week that he has now completed a first draft of the film's script. Following the release of Dune: Part Three this December, Villeneuve will seemingly be full steam ahead on 007, making 2028 a likely release year for the franchise's anticipated return. It seems likely that the next Bond actor will be announced before the end of this year, especially since the casting process is confirmed to have gotten underway in May. Now about five months in, the key creatives may have considerably narrowed things down by now. As Higson suggests, Craig's Bond was notably more scrappy and rugged than previous incarnations. Villeneuve, however, could choose to take the character in a different direction, perhaps making him less of a bare-knuckle fighter this time around. Many questions remain about Bond 26, but Higson evidently isn't totally sold by the reported candidates.