The Final Contenders For The Next James Bond, Ranked

Published Oct 22, 2026, 4:43 PM EDT Felipe Rangel is a Movie and TV Journalist ScreenRant. He has been writing about movies and TV since 2021. Felipe joined ScreenRant in 2022, working across different teams, covering everything from breaking news to features to reviews and more. Felipe is a writer who is an avid film and TV fan, with superhero movies and series being his biggest passion. He graduated from college in 2019, having studied Journalism. Before college, he spent a month studying at the Oxford English Centre. His superhero knowledge expands to the comics, with his undergraduate thesis being "Politics Reflected In American Comics." The final candidates to play the next James Bond have been revealed, and based on that list, it is easier to see who might be the best contender for the role. Daniel Craig was the latest actor to lead the James Bond movie franchise, starring in five movies as 007. His tenure in the role ended with 2021's No Time to Die. Now, the biggest spy thriller franchise is set to return soon, with Dune franchise director Denis Villeneuve charged with bringing the next James Bond movie together. The film's script is being written by Peaky Blinders' creator Steven Knight. As such, the James Bond creative team mixes a director that understands projects with a huge scope, and a writer who is all about gritty, grounded crime stories. Since Craig left the role, several actors have been rumored for the next James Bond. Now, Deadline has reported that screen tests for the new 007 could begin as early as Friday, October 23, with the search for Craig's replacement almost over. Four finalists are expected to test, including Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor, and a mysterious fourth actor. Choose the movie with the higher Rotten Tomatoes score. While the identity of that fourth James Bond candidate remains a mystery for now, The Hollywood Reporter claims that the actor in question is not Sinners' Jack O’Connell, nor Euphoria star Jacob Elordi, despite other reports tying the latter to the Bond search. Based on that, these are the three reported James Bond finalists, ranked by who would be the best Daniel Craig replacement. 3 Josh O’Connor © Netflix/Courtesy Everett Collection First up is Josh O’Connor. While the actor might just be the very best on the list as far as his acting range goes, O’Connor has yet to show in any of his roles that he could bring the suave energy needed for James Bond. The closest he got to that was in the excellent Challengers, where, yes, he was magnetic, but that performance did not immediately translate into action star. I feel like O’Connor could be the James Bond to pick if Villeneuve were to go towards the opposite of the 007 spectrum compared to Craig's take on the character. O’Connor would be great to bring back an earlier take on Bond, more cerebral than action-forward. That said, it seems like Villeneuve's sensibilities are more in line with Craig's version of the character. 2 Callum Turner Callum Turner appears right in the middle, being perhaps the best fit if the next James Bond movie is to continue with the same grittiness of Craig's version. Turner comes with the right physicality for the role and the suave attitude that just screams Bond. The actor also has experience with one of the biggest movie franchises of all time, as Turner played a key role in the Harry Potter spin-off franchise Fantastic Beasts, being Newt Scamander's brother, Theseus. In projects like Apple TV's Masters of the Air, Turner has shown that he has the charisma, focus, and confidence needed for James Bond. The actor also oozed charm in the genre rom-coms Eternity, alongside Elizabeth Olsen, and One Night Only, opposite Monica Barbaro. Talking to BBC Radio 1 in 2021, Villeneuve claimed that his favorite James Bond movies were Craig's Casino Royale and Skyfall, and Turner might be the best fit for that tone. That said, there is one reason why he ranks 2nd on the list. 1 Jack Lowden While Turner might be the best pick if the next James Bond actor is chosen as a close follow-up to the persona Craig brought forth as the character, Jack Lowden is the perfect star for the new 007 if Villeneuve ends up choosing to cast a Bond who mixes the early and modern eras of the character. For starters, we know Lowden can not only do action right, but he was born for the spy thriller genre. After all, the actor plays the key role of River Cartwright in Apple TV's Slow Horses. The show is one of the most popular spy series in recent memory, with six seasons so far and two more confirmed to be on the way. Lowden has played a few sarcastic characters, and Lowden himself is a charming actor that is a fast-talker. Combine that with River's more serious stance and background in action, and Lowden emerges as a James Bond who could be similar to Craig's, while also opening the door for a dash of levity. Additionally, despite his long-running role in Slow Horses, Lowden might just be the most unknown of the trio, which has historically been the go-to for James Bond actors. 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