The James Bond movie franchise is one of the biggest in the world. At the end of “No Time To Die”, released in 2021, 007 managed to save the world, again. Only this time there was no escape for Bond, played by Daniel Craig, and he met a heroic demise. But that doesn’t mean the end of Bond, that just means the character will once again be revamped and revised.
Since 2021, the speculation about who will next play 007 has been rife. It’s such a big area of pop culture that bookmakers always jump in on the action and it’s common to see a Next James Bond market posted at popular bookmakers in the list of top 100 betting sites by Legalbet.uk and other operator review sites. But is it a market that’s worth betting on?
Why is Bond Popular
The first James Bond movie was “Dr No” featuring the iconic Sean Connery as Agent 007 in 1962. For many, Connery is still the ultimate Bond and he is one of just seven actors to have played the character.
007 Actors Timeline
- Sean Connery – 1962 – 1967, 1971, 1983
- David Niven – 1967
- George Lazenby – 1969
- Roger Moore – 1973 – 1985
- Timothy Dalton – 1987 – 1989
- Pierce Brosnan – 1995 – 2002
- Daniel Craig – 2006 – 2021
The outgoing Daniel Craig made five Bond movies, which were the highly rated Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die. Interestingly, when Craig first got the role, the choice was criticised, as he wasn’t the typical Bond.
Daniel Craig’s 007 was a little different. The actor didn’t physically match the description of the character from the Ian Fleming novels, and he was seen as being a little rough around the edges instead of having the air of sophistication and suaveness that Bond has always carried. But Craig’s appointment was a sign that the franchise was willing to move the needle.
How to Bet on Bond
There is absolutely no strategy for betting on the next 007. It’s not like betting on a football match where you can go and study statistics and form. Basically all there is to go on, is the volume of rumours and media hype.
This is all that bookmakers themselves have to go on when setting the odds for the Next James Bond market. They lean on the noise from the media and try to piece together connections.
No matter how long the list of names is at a bookmaker, at some point, the field will be narrowed until it gets to a point where all the talk is about one actor. But by then, the bookmakers will be on top of it, and will have moved that person to an odds-on price.
What’s to Come?
There have been recent developments in the Bond movie franchise which could affect betting. Eon Productions was behind the Bond movies from the early 1960s, with MGM having the distribution rights.
MGM was then bought by Amazon Studios. In February 2025, it was announced that Amazon MGM Studios was taking over creative control by obtaining the intellectual property rights to Bond, so will now drive future Bond productions.
No one yet knows how much that change in creative control will change the face of Bond. There has been plenty of speculation that a female Bond or a person of colour will break new barriers in the franchise at some point.
However, insiders from the Bond franchise, including Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, long-time producers of the franchise for Eon Productions along with casting director Debbie McWilliams, pointed out some key factors for the next Bond:
- “He can be of any colour, but he is male,” – Barbara Broccoli.
- “The next Bond won’t be in his 20s,” – Debbie McWilliams.
- “You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place,” – Michael G Wilson
- “Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience… That’s why it works for a 30-something,” – Michael G Wilson.
Speculation
It’s catching bits of information like that from the media, which is the only indication of which actor may be in the frame. Producers announced in April 2025 that work had started on a “fresh, exhilarating new chapter” of Bond, wording that could be interpreted as a big change coming.
From Theo James to Henry Cavill and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, there have been a lot of unsubstantiated rumours about who the next Bond will be, even to outsiders like Idris Elba, Cillian Murphy, Tom Holland and Timothée Chalamet.
That just shows how completely unpredictable and strategically baseless betting on the market is. Is there a strategy behind Bond betting? No? Is it still one of the most highly anticipated, non-sports novelty markets going? Definitely.