Next James Bond: Christopher Nolan snub sparks huge shift as NEW frontrunner tops rankings
The race to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond has taken a major turn
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A new frontrunner has emerged in the odds to take over as James Bond following Daniel Craig's departure, GB News has exclusively learned.
Craig announced his exit from the franchise way back in 2019 and seeing as Barbara Broccoli and the team at Eon Productions are still yet to announce a replacement, speculation has been rife.
The market witnessed a major shift earlier this year when it was reported Oppenheimer boss Christopher Nolan was being tipped to helm Bond 26, but he's since ruled himself out - sparking fears the franchise will go "woke".
"No. Sadly no truth to those rumours," he told the AP this week. "But I’m very thrilled the (SAG-AFTRA) strike is over and we can all get back to work."
As a result, long-time frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been usurped as the favourite to land the role after he'd collaborated with Nolan on the mind-bending thriller Tenet.
Lee Astley, Head of News for LuckyBlock.com, revealed all to GB News as he explained: "With the news of Christopher Nolan passing up on the opportunity to direct the next James Bond film, a whole host of female actors and actresses have had odds shortened up on the news, while Nolan's favourite actors have drifted in the betting.
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"Damson Idris has usurped long-standing frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson as favourite for the role.
"Snowfall star Idris has been signed to be the new face of Tommy Hilfiger menswear and his fashionable persona would fit perfectly into the famous 00 tux."
According to the fresh odds, Idris now stands as the 3/1 frontrunner for the role of Bond while Taylor-Johnson is priced close behind at 7/2.
However, in light of Nolan rubbishing the rumours of him taking over, there have been plenty of other movers in the market as well.
Bridgerton's Rege-Jean Page now stands as the third-favourite to bag the role after being on the fringes for the past few months.
His odds have been slashed to 4/1 from 6/1, putting him ahead of the likes of James Norton and Henry Cavill who both remain as 6/1 outsiders.
Gangs of London, The Lazarus Project, and Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu has also witnessed a dramatic shift in his odds, with his previous 16/1 price being halved to 8/1.
Nolan's frequent collaborator Murphy remains in the running but now appears to be cut adrift in the market with odds of 10/1.
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Damson Idris has emerged as the frontrunner to take over from Craig
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Other notable movements following Nolan's bombshell include the likes of Kingsley Ben Adir (now 10/1 from 20/1), Riz Ahmed (now 20/1 from 33/1), and John David Washington (now 20/1 from 33/1) all having their chances improved.
There are also a number of new entries to the running as well, including Letitia Wright and Doctor Who's Ncuti Gatwa who've been priced at 28/1 and 50/1, respectively.
Whether the odds reflect who'll be unveiled as Bond remains a mystery and fans will likely be waiting some time to see who exactly will bag the role.
Broccoli revealed last month that her team "haven't even begun" the process of modernising Bond for today's audiences and eyeing up Craig's successor.