James Bond's Future Now Rests On Two Of The Best World War 2 Shows Since Band Of Brothers

Published Aug 28, 2026, 8:38 AM EDT Shawn S. Lealos is an entertainment writer who is a voting member of the Oklahoma Film Critics Circle. He has written for Screen Rant, CBR, ComicBook, The Direct, The Sportster, Chud, 411mania, Renegade Cinema, Yahoo Movies, and many more. Shawn has a bachelor's degree in professional writing and a minor in film studies from the University of Oklahoma. He also has won numerous awards, including several Columbia Gold Circle Awards and an SPJ honor. He also wrote Dollar Deal: The Story of the Stephen King Dollar Baby Filmmakers, the first official book about the Dollar Baby film program. Shawn is also currently writing his first fiction novel under a pen name, based in the fantasy genre. To learn more, visit his website at shawnlealos.net. The casting for the next James Bond is underway, and there are rumors that the final names have made it onto a shortlist at Amazon MGM. While the reported shortlists are not confirmed by Amazon MGM, the names on the list have been discussed and are betting-odds favorites to win the role of 007 for the next wave of Bond movies. These names include Callum Turner, Jack O'Connell, and Jack Barton. What makes these three actors so interesting is that they all appeared on television shows based on World War II. In fact, the actors are in two of the best World War II shows released since the groundbreaking HBO series Band of Brothers. Two of the actors appear in the BBC One series SAS: Rogue Heroes, and one appears in the Apple TV series Masters of the Air. This is important because, while James Bond is a modern-day British superspy, James Bond's origins come from World War II. With the character influenced by British events and battles taking place during World War II, and the actors having experience playing soldiers who fight in that war, it seems that Amazon MGM might have hit on something with these casting rumors. While this shortlist is just rumored, if it is true, the best possible James Bond could be on the way soon. Two Shortlisted James Bond Actors Are In SAS: Rogue Heroes According to the rumored shortlist for the next James Bond, Jack O'Connell and Jack Barton are up for the role as Agent 007. These two actors star together in a World War II series from BBC One, titled SAS: Rogue Heroes, that airs in America on Epix and MGM+. This series is a British historical drama by Steven Knight that tells the origins of the British Army Special Air Service (SAS) during the Western Desert Campaign in World War II. O'Connell stars as Lieutenant Colonel Paddy Mayne, one of the founding members of the SAS. The real-life Mayne ended up as one of the British Army's most highly decorated officers. Barton doesn't show up until the second season, where he takes on the role of Lieutenant John Eliot Tonkin, who in real life was one of the few survivors of Operation Bulbasket. Both the first and second seasons of SAS: Rogue Heroes hold a 100% Rotten Tomatoes score, and it remains a critically acclaimed series. Callum Turner Shone In Masters Of The Air On top of O'Connell and Barton, another highly rumored name for the James Bond role is Callum Turner. He is also an actor in a critically acclaimed World War II series, as he stars in Masters of the Air. This is a series that follows the actions of the 100th Bomb Group in the Eighth Air Force in eastern England, and it is actually a companion piece connected to Band of Brothers (2001) and The Pacific (2010). Unlike those earlier series, this one doesn't air on HBO and instead streams on Apple TV. Turner is one of the leads in the series, playing Major John "Bucky" Egan. In real life, he not only served in the 100th Bomb Group in World War II, but also later fought in the United States Air Force in the Korean War. With an 85% Rotten Tomatoes score, it is not as acclaimed as SAS: Rogue Heroes, but it is still praised as a worthy addition to the Band of Brothers follow-up shows. The series was nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards, winning for Outstanding Sound. While the cast received praise for both SAS: Rogue Heroes and Masters of the Air, none of them won any major awards for their performances. James Bond Has World War II DNA James Bond is a modern-day superspy working for MI6, and while his early adventures were told during times of war in Korea and Vietnam, his stories are often about stopping terrorists and not about fighting his country's battles with rival nations. However, these three shortlisted actors, all having acting experience in World War II movies, remain an interesting piece of trivia based on Bond's origins. Before writing his first James Bond novel, Ian Fleming fought in World War II. In fact, Fleming is portrayed in the movie The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare by Freddie Fox as a liaison to the crew sent out by Winston Churchill to execute special missions. Ian Fleming used Operation Postmaster, the event from this movie, as an inspiration for his James Bond novels. In fact, Fleming was also involved in a mission called Operation Goldeneye from 1941 to 1942, and this ended up as the name of one of his Bond novels and the name of one of the best James Bond movies ever made. Fleming based Bond on people he knew from World War II, as well as historical figures from that era, and this makes these actors' World War II TV shows mean even more when it comes to one of them getting the role of James Bond. TV Show(s) Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond Video Game(s) GoldenEye 007, The World Is Not Enough, 007: Nightfire, James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing, Quantum of Solace, James Bond 007: From Russia with Love, James Bond 007: Blood Stone, GoldenEye 007 Remake, 007: Agent Under Fire First Film Dr. No First TV Show Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond Genres Action Cast Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig