Next James Bond: Netflix Adolescence star enters race to play 007 as series success sparks shock shift
The future of the James Bond franchise may take a huge new turn following the meteoric success of Netflix’s hard-hitting crime series Adolescence.
New data suggests a star of the massively successful show may have an outside chance of becoming the next 007.
Speculation on who will succeed Daniel Criag as the iconic character has been rife since he hung up his tuxedo and bowtie with 2021s No Time to Die.
Chatter was further heightened when Amazon assumed full creative control of the franchise in February, after longtime producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli stepped away.
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Amazon are thought to be “fast tracking” the development of a new film with a release date of 2027 in mind.
Now, Adolescence star Stephen Graham has emerged as an outside choice to take on the iconic role.
Data from Free Bets Casion show the 51-year-old actor has 66/1 odds of taking his martinis shaken not stirred.
Graham has been celebrated for his performances in This Is England, Time and Little Blue Boy.
His success has been matched in the US, playing a fearsome Al Capone in Boardwalk Empire.
He has also worked several times with legendary director Martin Scorsese, starring in 2019’s The Irishman.
However, Graham’s stirring performance as a father whose world is torn apart after his teenage son is accused of murdering a schoolgirl classmate appears to have handed him a boost.
The show has dominated conversations across the UK, even being selected for screenings in school after a Downing Street discussion.
However, Graham remains far from the favourite to be the next 007 – especially as Amazon are reportedly seeking a much younger actor for the role.
Regardless, Theo James remains the bookies favourite to succeed Daniel Craig, currently priced at 5/2 or a 28.6 percent probability.
Henry Cavill, who shot to the top spot in recent weeks, has seen his odds weaken to 3/1 or a 25 percent probability.
Jack Lowden, already familiar with spy craft from his role in Apple TV’s Slow Horses, has surged past former favourite Aaron Taylor-Johnson to the third favourite with 4/1 odds.
Graham is not the only wildcard Bond being currently floated as a Craig replacement.
FreeBets suggests One Direction’s Harry Styles also holds 66/1 odds of being Bond.
They said: “While unlikely, the pop star-turned-actor continues to intrigue fans with his evolving screen presence and charismatic charm.”
Styles first turned his acting in 2017 with Christopher Nolan’s war film Dunkirk, where he was praised for an understated performance that over not overshadowed by his stardom.
Since, he has appeared in Olivia Wilde’s much discussed thriller Don’t Worry Darling and 2022’s romantic drama My Policeman.