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New James Bond actor narrowed down to one of three (very British) men, according to reports

Jack Barton is apparently the frontrunner for the role of 007, but nothing has been decided yet.

News by Trent Cannon, Senior Contributing writer

Published on Thu Aug 27 2026

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The role of James Bond is a difficult one to fill. They need to be good-looking, charming, and mysterious while also making fans believe that this is a man with a license to kill and a willingness to use it. According to multiple sources, there are several relatively unknown actors in the running to play James Bond – with a decision presumably being made before the end of the year.

It has been an almost agonizing process watching James Bond’s latest film struggle to get off the ground. Denis Villeneuve is the director of the movie, which is currently referred to as “Bond 26.” He and casting director Nina Gold have presumably spent the past several months looking at every male British actor under the age of 40 to find their next Bond, and they have reportedly narrowed it down to three names.

Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts) and Jack O’Connell (28 Years Later) are both still in contention for the role of James Bond, according to one report, while relatively unknown actor Jack Barton has already been crowned as the new 007 by another report. Barton has had bit parts in shows like Heartstopper and movies like Poor Things, but he would be an unknown quantity for audiences. Which, when you’re dealing with a secret agent, might be a good thing. Despite his low profile (or because of it), Barton is apparently the frontrunner for the role of James Bond.

A lot can still change going forward, however. Next, the actors in the running for 007 will screen test, which could change how the production team looks at them. It also ignores previous reports that Jack Lowden from Slow Horses was the top pick for the role. We are likely still weeks or months away from finding out for sure who will be the next James Bond, even if several outlets are ready to anoint one actor or another.

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