James Bond betting suspended as bookies speculate new 007 has been found -Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

We’re still waiting to formally find out who will follow in the footsteps of (from L) Daniel Craig, Sir Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan as James Bond (Picture: Rex)

For nearly three years, film fans have feverishly speculated over who might replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond – and now we may have another clue as to the answer.

That’s because bookies have suspended betting.

Craig, 56, exited the franchise when he handed in his licence to kill in 2021 after the release of No Time to Die, his fifth movie as the iconic spy.

Since then, we’ve seen all sorts of contenders mentioned for the part, from Idris Elba (who removed himself from the race), previous second-place Henry Cavill and James Norton to newer Netflix breakthrough star possibles like Bridgerton’s Jonathan Bailey, The Gentlemen’s Theo James and Leo Woodall, who played Dexter in emotional mini-series One Day.

However, for several months now, one British actor has been considered the front-runner, with rumours running rampant when reports emerged that he’d filmed the famous gun barrel sequence that appears at the start of every Bond movie, as part of an audition.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 34, was then later said to have been offered the role of a lifetime earlier this year, although this report was later slapped down.

The upcoming Kraven the Hunter actor, who has brushed off direct questioning about the part himself, has been the bookies’ favourite for just as long.

Craig retired from the role after 2021’s No Time to Die (Picture: Col Pics/Everett/Rex/Shutterstock)

In June, Taylor-Johnson was given odds of 4/5 by both Coral and betideas.com, putting him odds-on to be the next 007.

Now, Coral bookmakers has announced that it’s suspended betting on the next James Bond.

‘We have pulled the plug on our next James Bond betting following strong interest in Aaron Taylor-Johnson,’ said Coral’s John Hill.

‘We will let the dust settle for now, but it could be that that Daniel Craig’s replacement has been found.’

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been considered the favourite to take over the part for months now (Picture: Pablo Cuadra/WireImage)

Ahead of betting being suspended, the actor was on odds of 1/2.

Taylor-Johnson recently wowed fans with a major hair transformation as he debuted a clean-shaven and shorter-haired look after years of rocking a beard.

He has been busy since May working on 28 Years Later, alongside Jodie Comer, Ralph Fiennes and Cillian Murphy, a sequel (or threequel, technically) coming over 20 years since the original.

Sharing a photo of himself with his long hair slicked back and unruly beard in place, the Bullet Train actor wore aviator shades, a loosely buttoned pink shirt and a couple of necklaces.

‘From one look…,’ he wrote across the picture, before uploading evidence of his transformation in the next photo.

‘…To another,’ he completed the sentence, revealing himself with shorn locks and beard free, posing for a selfie in an orange fitness set.

The star, who recently underwent a big transformation, saw betting suspended on Bond after he had odds of 1/2 (Picture: @aarontaylorjohnson/Instagram)

However, with no official news yet, other actors remain in the running like Theo James (Picture: Getty)

The star, whose breakout role came in 2008’s Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, has sported his beard and longer hair look for so many years now, that fans could easily walk past him in the street and not actually spot the star.

It remains to be seen whether or not the prep has anything to do with portraying a certain suave spy.

Barbara Broccoli and her fellow producer and half-brother Michael G. Wilson are the powers-that-be who will anoint the new James Bond in due course for the next batch of Eon films – and so far, they’ve been silent.

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