George Clooney has waded into the latest James Bond casting frenzy as rumors hit fever pitch.
Since Daniel Craig’s final outing in No Time to Die in 2021, fans have been left twiddling their martinis, desperate to know who will next slip into 007’s iconic shoes.
The wait has dragged on since the Broccoli family handed control of the franchise to Amazon MGM Studios, though casting director Nina Gold stoked fresh intrigue at Cannes, saying the next Bond must ‘ooze sex appeal’ across multiple films.
Amid the usual suspects – Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harris Dickinson, and Jacob Elordi – dominating the betting boards, Clooney has his sights set on another heavy favorite.
The Oscar-winning actor, who worked with him on 2023’s historical drama The Boys in the Boat, is backing Callum Turner.
‘I hope Callum ends up being the next Bond. I think he would be a great Bond,’ Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do it.’
George Clooney has waded into the latest James Bond casting frenzy as rumors hit fever pitch; Above in 2025
The Oscar-winning actor, who worked with him on 2023’s historical drama The Boys in the Boat, is backing Callum Turner; Above, in 2023
Clooney didn’t stop there, going on to praise the 36-year-old actor’s career choices and understated rise.
‘He hasn’t just gone for the easy paychecks – he’s done really interesting work,’ he said. ‘Somehow Callum has weaved his way through all of the noise and found a place where people look at him and go, “There’s something with this young man.” It’s exciting to watch people saying, “That guy – that’s a guy I want to follow and pay attention to.”‘
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He also reflected on how different the path to leading-man status has become in today’s industry.
‘Speaking as an older guy now, it’s interesting how much more difficult it is than it was back in the day,’ the 65-year-old star told the outlet.
‘It’s just harder,’ he said. ‘Talk to any big-time producer or big-time director: They’re constantly going, ‘Who’s a leading man now? Who’s the one?’’
For Clooney, Turner is exactly that. ‘I can’t explain it, but I know it when I see it,’ he said of star quality.
As for Turner himself, he remained cautious about the swirling Bond speculation, telling the outlet he ‘wouldn’t comment’ on whether he would take on the role if offered.
But he added: ‘I’ll tell you what’s so funny about the Bond thing: Even your best friends ask you, people text you that you haven’t spoken to for 10 years – and you know nothing!’
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‘I hope Callum ends up being the next Bond. I think he would be a great Bond,’ Clooney told The Hollywood Reporter. ‘He’s tall and handsome and charming and British, so he’s the perfect guy to do it’
Away from acting, Turner recently married pop star Dua Lipa, adding an extra layer of spotlight to his rising profile; Above, in March
As Clooney holds out for Turner to take the Bond crown, a Netflix star has properly entered the mix: Vikings: Valhalla’s Leo Suter.
A relative newcomer compared with the front-runners, Suter, 32, is best known for his television work, most notably in the crime drama Lynley and Netflix’s historical epic Vikings: Valhalla.
His work on Vikings: Valhalla leaned heavily into combat-heavy storytelling, with long stretches of stunt-driven filming that suggest familiarity with the demands of large-scale action production.
Away from the action, he’s also got a softer side to his performances – showing there’s more range there than his tougher, physical parts might suggest.
Earlier this year, Suter addressed speculation about potentially taking on 007, hinting he may already be part of the wider conversation around casting.
‘I think it might be somewhere in there, yeah, and I wouldn’t say no,’ he revealed to The Times in January, adding, ‘Watch this space.’
Suter also earned strong notices for playing Toby Fedden in the Almeida Theatre’s recent stage adaptation of Alan Hollinghurst’s The Line of Beauty.
More recently, attention has shifted to his lead role in the BBC’s reboot of Inspector Lynley, where he steps into the part of detective Tommy Lynley, the aristocratic investigator previously played by Nathaniel Parker in the original series, which ran from 2001 to 2008.
Since Daniel Craig ’s final outing in No Time to Die in 2021, fans have been left twiddling their martinis, desperate to know who will next slip into 007’s iconic shoes
As Clooney holds out for Turner to take the Bond crown, a Netflix star has properly entered the mix: Vikings: Valhalla’s Leo Suter; Above, in 2022
More recently, attention has shifted to his lead role in the BBC’s reboot of Inspector Lynley, where he steps into the part of detective Tommy Lynley
The Netflix star’s growing odds for 007 come amid major momentum behind the reboot, with Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve now attached to helm the next chapter, while Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been brought in to write the screenplay.
Although nothing has been officially confirmed, industry speculation continues to point towards a fresh origin-style take on Bond, potentially following a younger version of the character at the start of his career.
That approach would mirror the direction of the new video game 007 First Light, which also reimagines Bond in his early MI6 days.
Meanwhile, Turner is currently leading the betting with OddsChecker, emerging as the bookmakers’ clear favorite in the race to become the next 007.
Away from acting, Turner recently married pop star Dua Lipa, adding an extra layer of spotlight to his rising profile.
Close behind him in the odds is Dickinson, 29, who is set to portray John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopics.
After starting out in smaller British indie projects and television roles, he broke through internationally with films such as Triangle of Sadness, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil and The King’s Man.
More recently, he appeared opposite Nicole Kidman in Babygirl and earned a BAFTA TV nomination for A Murder at the End of the World.
The Netflix star’s growing odds for 007 come amid major momentum behind the reboot, with Dune and Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve now attached to helm the next chapter, while Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been brought in to write the screenplay
Australian actor Elordi also remains firmly in the mix, having first gained attention in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth before moving into prestige television with Euphoria alongside Zendaya and Sydney Sweeney.
He has since taken on more high-profile film work in Saltburn and Priscilla, and was even Oscar-nominated for his performance in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
His recent appearance in the romantic drama Wuthering Heights opposite Margot Robbie has only added to the momentum behind his name.
Taylor-Johnson continues to be a long-standing contender, with supporters of his Bond potential dating back years.
Once a child actor, he made the jump to leading man status in Kick-Ass (2010) and has since built a portfolio across major franchises, including Godzilla, Avengers: Age of Ultron and 28 Years Later.
Jack O’Connell has also climbed the rankings more recently following his scene-stealing turn in the Oscar-winning Sinners.
He began his career in Skins before earning critical acclaim in films such as Starred Up and ’71, and later worked alongside Angelina Jolie in the Second World War drama Unbroken.
Henry Cavill remains a perennial wildcard in the discussion, having famously auditioned for Bond in 2006 before losing out to Daniel Craig.
However, audiences are expected to wait for the next 007 film, with reports suggesting a release as late as 2028 would mark one of the longest gaps between Bond films in the franchise’s history.
As one source put it: ‘Bond won’t be back until 2028. The production mindset’s gone from “let’s hurry this through” to “make sure we get this right”‘.
They added, ‘Denis wanted a long break after Dune 3 and has some broad ideas on the script. Steven will get on with drafts before they map out the final version. That’ll take at least the whole summer.’
Craig remains the franchise’s longest-serving 007, having portrayed the character for 15 years, most recently in Skyfall and his final outing in No Time to Die.
