Josh O’Connor has coy response to James Bond rumours-Lillie Rohan-Entertainment – Metro

Josh O’Connor played it cool when asked about the possibility of him playing James Bond (Picture: Michael Tran/AFP via Getty Images)

Theories about who will play the next James Bond have been swirling for a while. Now one frontrunner has addressed the claims.

After starring alongside Daniel Craig in Variety’s Actors on Actors series, fans were convinced it was simply the industry foreshadowing that Josh O’Connor would take over as 007.

If true, it would have been a great introduction to the role for the star. Unfortunately, it’s not.

Josh, 34, known for portraying a young King Charles III in Netflix’s The Crown, as well as starring in Challengers, La chimera and Lee, has an impressive portfolio.

His most recent work, a drama titled Rebuilding, is being showcased at the annual Sundance Film Festival this month, which is also where he told Deadline that the rumours about him playing Bond are just that, rumours.

Speaking to the news outlet, he reportedly smiled as he was asked his thoughts on the matter, admitting: ‘I have no thoughts, really.

The actor has ‘no thoughts’ on playing 007 (Picture: Taylor Hill/WireImage)

Josh and Daniel Craig starred in the Actors on Actors series (Picture: Variety)

‘The truth is that … I think in the space of a week, I made a joke about, wouldn’t it be funny if I played Bond? Then, me and Daniel [Craig] did an Actors on Actors, and then something else happened, and then suddenly I was James Bond.’

He continued to say: ‘If I am Bond, I don’t know about it.’

It’s another blow for fans who have been patiently waiting to find out who will take over for Daniel, 56, after he left the franchise in 2021 with his final Bond film, No Time To Die.

Since the highly anticipated role became available, there have been many rumours and theories about who could star as the MI6 spy, with huge Hollywood names being thrown in the ring.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been blunt with his replies to questions about the role (Picture: Chad Salvador/Shutterstock)

A recent show had fans believing James Norton could be taking over the role (Picture: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock)

It was rumoured last March that Aaron Taylor Johnson had already signed on for the role, although they were quickly shot down by a production insider who told the BBC there was ‘no truth’ in it.

Elsewhere, fans were convinced they spotted a clue that James Norton could be playing the agent after a scene in his new ITV show, Playing Nice appeared to hint at it.

Idris Elba is also a reported frontrunner but he revealed in 2023 that his interest in the role declined following the ‘disgusting’ commentary over his casting.

Josh’s comments follow rumours that the iconic series could be indefinitely delayed amid an alleged feud between Amazon and producing partner Barbara Broccoli.

Idris is also a fan favourite for Bond (Picture: Anthony Harvey/Shutterstock)

Amazon acquired half the rights to Bond a few years ago through the purchase of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio for £6.4billion.

Broccoli allegedly said to friends about Amazon: ‘These people are f***ing idiots’, per the Wall Street Journal.

Other claims insist that Broccoli, daughter of the original Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli, has aired her distaste for Bond being associated with a streamer also known for the sale of items like toilet paper.

Neither Broccoli or Amazon have addressed the claims.

Sources say the production will be unable to go ahead without Broccoli’s go-ahead or creative okay, and reports from The Times in September alluded that there was still no script, no director and no actor in place.

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