Rumors The New James Bond Has Already Been Cast Have (Reportedly) Been Greatly Exaggerated

It’s been nearly five years since James Bond was on our movie screens, which means that, considering that the next James Bond movie is well over a year away at the absolute least, we’re likely in for the longest gap between films the franchise has ever seen. Of course, that doesn’t mean that James Bond fans have had absolutely nothing to do. The speculation regarding who will be the next James Bond has been going on for even before No Time to Die hit theaters.

The question of who will be the next James Bond has been one of the hottest casting stories of this decade. Numerous names have been at the top of the odds over the last few years. However, the most recent rumors indicated that the choice may have already been made. Unfortunately for fans hoping the ultimate question had an answer, that may not be the case.

New Report Says James Bond has Not Been Chosen

Two names have jumped to the top of the oddsmakers' books in recent weeks. Academy Award nominee Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner, most recently seen in Eternity, are being rumored, with some reports claiming that one or the other of them had already been decided on. However, in an Instagram post, pop culture site Deuxmoi claims that, according to sources, not only have neither of them been cast, but the casting process isn’t fully underway. Thus, it’s still too early to tie anybody to the role.

If true, the claim that the casting process is not “fully underway” does indicate that the process has at least started. This would likely confirm another rumor, which claims that the next James Bond movie is looking to start filming later this year. If that’s the case, then we are certainly in the period where the casting process needs to ramp up not just for the lead role, but for everything else as well.

The James Bond Casting Process Will Take Time

Of course, none of this means that Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner are not frontrunners to be the next James Bond. The current rumors may be true, and they are currently at the top of the casting director's call sheet. However, even if Amazon MGM, which now has total franchise control, thinks they may be right, neither one of them is simply going to be handed this role.

The casting for the next James Bond movie is likely going to be a slow and involved process because, for many of the roles, Amazon MGM isn’t just casting for a single film but a franchise. Whoever is going to play not just Bond, but M, Q, and potentially others, will need to be in it for the long haul. As such, you can expect this process to not be rushed.