James Bond 26 Reportedly Wants to Cast an Unknown, Young, British Male Actor as Next 007

If this latest report is accurate, you can forget about Henry Cavill or Idris Elba being the next James Bond.

According to Deadline’s sources, the filmmakers are looking to cast a “fresh face” as 007 in James Bond 26, specifically an unknown male British actor in their late 20s to early 30s.

This “fresh face” criteria would rule out a number of oft-rumored “next James Bond” candidates, including Tom Holland, Taron Egerton, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Although there were recent reports about unknown English actor Scott Rose-Marsh screen-testing as 007 for Bond 26 director Denis Villeneuve, Deadline’s source claims “the casting process has not begun and it won’t until Denis finishes the [third] Dune movie.”

The source says it’s possible that the next Bond could be played by a non-white actor, though “it’ll come down to this: Are they right for Bond? Are they right for the story that Villeneuve and screenwriter [Steven] Knight will be telling?”

Deadline emphasizes that Bond 26 will not be a continuation of where No Time to Die left the saga with the death of Daniel Craig’s James Bond. “It’s a new Bond, a new start, a fresh everything,” the site’s source claims.

James Bond 26 begins filming in 2027 for a 2028 release date.

Bond 26 is the first 007 film for Amazon MGM Studios and under the stewardship of new producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal, who took over from Bond franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.