Much is being said about who will replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.
Daniel hung up his gun for good in 2021 after five outings as the suave spy and since then fans have been teased with a variety of replacements from longtime favourites to surprising newcomers.
With the race rumbling on, Pierce Brosnan weighed in to have his say about who he thinks would make the best 007 and is backing Aaron Taylor-Johnson saying he would make a 'very fine Bond'.
Now speculation is hotting up that the actor might have finally nabbed the part as he signed with a brand long associated with the spy.
Pierce was the first Bond to don an Omega watch during the 1995 film GoldenEye and now 30 years on Aaron has signed on as an ambassador for the brand.
Commenting on the new deal he said: 'I have always had an appreciation for timepeices but especially for Omega. Now after visitng the factory, I am in awe of the skill required to manufacture such a luxurious product. Given the latest twist in the tale, here's every actor who has been linked to the role:
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
In 2024 it was reported by The Sun that Kick-Ass star Aaron had been offered the part but 'had yet to formally accept it' which more or less seemed to shut down the speculation about the new Bond.
Fast forward to 2025 however and still there's been no official confirmation of Aaron taking on the part.
By November a production insider told the BBC that there was 'no truth to the rumours' but Aaron has remained coy about the part even when asked directly about the job which is keeping his name in the hat.
Aaron has the backing of Irish Bond Pierce Brosnan, who described him as 'impressive'.
Speaking on the Jonathan Ross Show, the Navan man said: 'I think he would make a very fine Bond. He was actually in one of the movies I made called The Greatest. This young man we cast as 'The Greatest'.'
'He was so impressive then. He just had this charisma, he had this presence... so he would be good. But there’s many men on the list, I’m sure.'
Idris Elba
Idris has been liked to the role since the early days of his career largely driven by fans (including his mum) who would love to see him tackle the part.
Sadly though age might be an issue for the actor. He's currently 52, the same age as Craig when he quit the role citing the gruelling training regime as a large part of his decision.
Idris also seems to have made his peace with missing out on the part and told Capital Xtra in 2021: 'Listen, my poor mum is like "One day you're going to get it!" I was like "Mum, I'm good. I've got Luther!"
Henry Cavill
From Superman to Super Spy? Henry Cavill is another longtime front-runner to be the new Bond.
Henry previously auditioned for the part in 2005 but lost out to Craig and turned out an impressive performance as a spy in the reboot of The Man From Uncle but could he nab the role?
A 2024 study by Betway Casinos analysed Google searches, article engagement, and Reddit mentions for the new Bond and it was Henry who came out as the favourite.
Working against him might be his high profile as the producers don't usually pick actors who have previously fronted franchises preferring lesser-known candidates for the job.
He also announced in April that he was expecting his first child with his partner Natalie so he might just have his hands full for the next while.
Tom Hardy
Another name it's very easy to imagine slipping into Bond's Saville Row suit is Tom Hardy who has shown time and again that he has the looks and the charisma to pull off the part.
Fans have linked his name to the part for years but as he is currently 47 he might be discounted if producers want to invest in a younger actor to play the part for a longer period like Craig did.
Tom Hiddleston
Marvel favourite Tom was another addition to the list in recent years and way back in 2017 he was even rumoured to be in advance talks to take on the role before Daniel returned.
In 2024 however, it was revealed that Tom had signed on for series two and three of The Night Manager which surely rules him out from a time constraint point of view.
Regé-Jean Page
Regé-Jean Page was seriously hyped up to play the new Bond as fans swooned over the first series of Brisdgerton and even Pierce Brosnan gave him his seal of approval.
Since then the actor has remained more low-key in choosing his parts but wouldn't you know it, he already has another spy thriller in the works, ironically a reboot of Roger Moore's The Saint.
Lashana Lynch
Lashana Lynch became a fan favourite when she appeared alongside Daniel Craig in No Time To Die and she was widely touted to be the first female and black actor to take up the 007 mantel at the time.
That seems unlikely though based on a 2020 interview with Barabra Broccoli who told Variety: 'James Bond can be any colour but he's male.
'I believe we should be creating new characters for women - strong female characters. '
Sam Heughan
Samm Heughan was another name driving speculation for a time but appears to have fallen back in the runnings.
Like Idris and Tom Hardy, age might be a factor in Sam's case if the producers are aiming for longevity.
Richard Madden
Richard Madden was another strong contender who ticks a lot of the 'usual' Bond boxes.
At 38 he is also roughly the same age as Daniel Craig when he landed the part but that said we haven't heard much about him in connection to the role in a while.
Dev Patel
Slumdog Millionaire alum Dev Patel is another name that was linked to the part for a while that also seems to have fizzled out.
No one was more baffled than Dev when he was questioned about the part and he told Total Film: 'I don't know why this is' but concluded that it might be because so many young British actors have been liked to the part.
James Norton
Well, he's already got the name down but could he be the next 007? James Norton is another name that keeps cropping up time and again and it's easy to see why.
He's the right age and isn't overexposed but that said his name hasn't been connected to the part in some time.
Johnathan Bailey
Wicked and Bridgerton fans would be ecstatic to see Bailey land the part and like Norton, he already seems to meet a lot of the criteria.
His career is going from strength to strength right now but he's not overexposed yet so could we see him playing Bond? Time will tell.
Jack Lowden
One of the more recent names to join the Bond race is Saoirse Ronan's other half Jack Lowden and his wife is backing him for the part.
She recently told Edith Bowman that there was 'still time' for Jack to land the part but that it hasn't happened yet indicating that he might not have been approached by producers yet.
Cillian Murphy
Oscar-winner Cillian has shown that he is as versatile as they come over the years but could that extend to playing James Bond?
He is among the older candidates and also tends to shy away from more commercial franchises so he would definitely be a dark horse in the race.
Paul Mescal
Paul's buff turn in the Gladiator sequel set tongues wagging and in December it was reported that he was on the producer's radar but nothing has been said officially yet.
It certainly would be another feather in his cap if he did land the part.
Theo James
Theo is another actor having a moment right now after top-rated appearances in The Gentleman and The White Lotus is Theo James.
Little wonder then that he is the current bookies' favourite to nab the part as his odds have shot up in recent months and it's hardly a stretch to imagine him playing Bond.
