Amazon Allegedly Has Three Actors On Its Bond 26 Wish List, But There Are Two Other Reported Developments We Need To Discuss Too

While things seem to be moving at a breakneck pace on the 2025 movie schedule, things aren’t fast enough for 007 to return before the year’s end. I certainly didn’t expect that to change, but with James Bond 26 now securing Dune mastermind/long-time favorite Denis Villeneuve as its director, you could practically hear the Aston Martin DB5 warming up its engines.

Now, while Amazon-MGM Studios is reportedly shifting gears with rumors of three actors being considered for the tuxedo, two more rumors have me thinking a little harder about all of this forward action.

Tom Holland And Two Other Actors Allegedly Make Up Amazon’s Bond 26 Wish List

Oh, I can remember a time when rumors of a Tom Holland-led “Young Bond” movie seemed to feel out of pocket. But now Variety has unnamed sources claiming that he’s one of three young actors being considered by the Amazon-MGM brass as the next Commander Bond.

Along with the current Spider-Man lead are Euphoria and Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson, who already feels like a strong candidate after his work in The King’s Man. Between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Holland is probably the least likely candidate, as his 2026 is going to be booked and busy.

If it really is going to come down to Elordi and Dickinson, I'd personally side with the latter, but that's only because I need to dig further into the former's filmography. Also, I'd like to point out that despite previous stipulations from IO Interactive, it's not too late to consider rumored First Light star Patrick Gibson as our next Bond.

In either scenario, another complication could see itself affecting our hypothetical Bond 26 lead's big debut.

Denis Villeneuve’s Bond 26 Is Supposedly A One And Done Deal, With No Final Cut

For a moment there, I was getting comfortable with how Villeneuve’s Bond 26 hiring potentially meant we could see the likes of Christopher Nolan being welcomed with open arms later on. That moment has passed now, as Dune: Messiah’s creative father has seemingly run into the traditional stumbling block of not being granted final cut on his James Bond adventure.

Both of those caveats could mean that hiring 007 is more of a decision to be made by current Bond producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman. Which, to me, feels like Denis Villeneuve will not be too engrained in the casting process for our next James Bond. That could complicate things, as depending on how much say he has in the matter, the Blade Runner 2049 visionary might need some more time to adapt to whomever becomes the next face of Commander Bond.

What makes that feel even weirder is that, according to the same source cited above, Nolan was apparently hotly considered by Amazon-MGM Studios to direct the next 007 picture. But it sounds like The Odyssey may have been the deal breaker, as it needs to be ready for release next summer. That suggestion not only has me thinking Tom Holland will be out, in case he’s needed for reshoots/promotion, but it also points to a potentially record-breaking bummer.

A Bond 26 Release Date Prior To 2028 Is Supposedly “Impossible”

This is perhaps the most worrisome development in this whole scenario, as Bond 26’s rumored plans had a 2027 release date in the cards. That apparently is no longer the case, as these anonymous voices of insight have written that off as a mission that’s too impossible. 2028 is allegedly the window of opportunity, which would make the gap between No Time To Die and this next picture almost seven years.

Apparently, the scope of Bond 26 is what has folks concerned about the road ahead. And yet Casino Royale came together in a little over a year, with Daniel Craig’s announcement in October 2005 leading to the picture filming between January and July 2006, for a November release.

Does anybody else want a refill on their martini, because it’s starting to feel like everything’s coming together, with a couple of caveats? I get that these sorts of hiccups can be expected with a changing of the guard, but some of this speculation puts a little more pressure on the future of the James Bond franchise.

I guess we'll just have to take a moment to breathe and wait for further intel. Whatever happens next, may it be the best move possible, as rushing into a 007 movie is more foolhardy than monologuing your plan before killing Commander Bond himself.