Game of Thrones pair Tom Hopper and Richard Madden are joined by Venom’s Tom Hardy as 4-1 favourites.
The latest William Hill odds on who will become the eighth actor to play the world’s most famous super-spy James Bond have revealed a three-way tie between Game of Thrones duo Tom Hopper and Richard Madden, while Venom’s Tom Hardy is still in the running.
Long after the 25th instalment of the film, No Time To Die, conjured its surprise ending, speculation remains rife about who could, or should, take on the mantle for the outgoing Daniel Craig. From Game of Thrones to Umbrella Academy, via Doctor Who, 36-year-old Hopper’s star is rising, and he recently went from rank outsider to odds on favourite overnight – following a flurry of big-money bets.
The Coalville-born star achieved international fame in 2017 when appearing as Dickon Tarly in four episodes of HBO hit Game of Thrones, and followed that up by portraying Luther Hargreeves in Umbrella Academy.
Hopper has also starred in films such as SAS: Red Notice and Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard, and William Hill makes him a 4-1 shot to impress 007 bosses Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, enough to land the role.
Game of Thrones’ Robb Stark actor Richard Madden is also available at 4-1 and has consistently been among the frontrunners. Madden, who made waves as a Principal Protection Officer (PPO) assigned to guard the Home Secretary, in British political thriller Bodyguard, plays Ikaris in Marvel’s newest superhero movie, Eternals, and critics are already calling his performance “epic” and “beautiful”. This should see interest in the 35-year-old Scot, who is also 4-1, spike at just the right time in the casting process, which is said to be a closely-guarded secret.
And the third of those vying for Craig’s recently hung-up Tux is Venom’s Hardy, who has been a mainstay of the market leaders. Hardy, who’s now 44 years old, has starred in movies such as Mad Max: Fury Road, Inception, The Revenant, Dunkirk, The Dark Knight Rises and most recently Venom and Venom: Let There Be Carnage.
Added to the 4-1 shot’s glittering CV, is the fact he has already played a spy in both Christopher Nolan’s Inception and also This Means War. Among new contenders in the race to become the next international super-spy, are Billy Elliott star Jamie Bell and Spider-Man himself, Tom Holland.
Bell, who at 35 would become one of the youngest Bond’s to date, has most recently appeared in Without Remorse, as well as Fantastic Four. But he is perhaps best known for playing Billy Elliot in the 2000 film. While Bell is priced at 9-2, Holland joins Bridgerton’s dashing Duke of Hastings Rege-Jean Page, who has drifted in recent weeks to 6-1.
Full ‘Next James Bond market’ listings
**Odds correct at time of publishing.**
