Licence to leak: Do we finally know the identity of the next James Bond?

Another year, another fresh batch of James Bond casting rumours...

Following Daniel Craig’s swansong No Time To Die (2021), the question on everyone’s lips has been: Who’s the next 007?

The identity of the seventh James Bond (if you don’t count David Niven’s take in the 1967 spoof Casino Royale) is Hollywood's best-kept secret and no official announcement has yet been made - despite actors like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson and Scott Rose-Marsh being rumoured as the next superspy for Denis Villeneuve’s Bond 26.

However, fans believe that a major announcement is imminent, and one actor seems to have been loose-lipped.

According to recent rumours, British actor Callum Turner has reportedly been telling his friends that he has been cast as the new 007.

Granted, the source is British tabloid The Daily Mail, so it’s worth taking with a fistful of salt, but it does confirm our report last month that Turner had emerged as the frontrunner for the iconic role.

“He’s been blabbing all over town. Callum is the new Bond, it’s been confirmed. Everyone in his circle is talking about it. It’s the worst-kept secret going,” a source told the outlet.

Turner, 35, is best known for starring in the 2020 Jane Austen adaptation Emma, the Harry Potter spin-off series Fantastic Beasts, George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat and the acclaimed miniseries Masters of the Air.

If confirmed, Bond 26 could set the scene for an interesting double act, as Turner’s fiancée is popstar Dua Lipa, who has been hotly tipped as one of the contenders to perform the new Bond theme song.

Until the official announcement, bets are still open and expect more nonstop speculation.

Bond 26 will be directed by Denis Villeneuve and is being written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. Production is expected to kick off in 2027, with a release planned for 2028. It will be the first Bond movie since Amazon gained full creative control of the franchise, with long-serving producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson stepping down.