Theo James has seemingly taken himself out of the running to play James Bond, despite what you might have read recently.
Earlier this year, the star of Netflix’s The Gentlemen dismissed the idea of succeeding Daniel Craig as 007, claiming that, at 41, he’s now “too old” to take over at the helm of the franchise.
Since then, Theo’s name has continued to be mentioned in the press as a potential candidate for the role, most recently when Variety alleged that he “hasn’t been ruled out” by producers.
However, he appeared to cast doubt on this during an interview with Extra earlier this year.
During the discussion, Extra’s reporter pointed out that James had taken himself “out of the running” and he was then asked who he thought should get the role instead.
After some deliberation, and an impromptu F-bomb, he suggested Anya Taylor-Joy.
“I actually remember watching the chess one and thinking she would be a great Bond,” he noted, referring to Anya’s work in Netflix’s The Queen’s Gambit.
Speculation about who will be the next James Bond now stretches back years, with the casting process officially getting underway back in May.
Until this year, Aaron Taylor-Johnson had long been considered the frontrunner, but unconfirmed reports at the end of last month indicated that producers had whittled their search down to four actors, comprised of Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, surprise addition Josh O’Connor and an undisclosed fourth name.
Since then, the identity of this mysterious fourth star has been suggested as everyone from Heartstopper’s Jack Barton to Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult.
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Producer Amy Pascal shared earlier this year that she and her team were on the hunt for “something really different” when it came to the next James Bond.
She added that the casting team were hoping to find someone “stirring and exciting and different” for the iconic role, who was last seen in action in 2021’s No Time To Die.
