There are still a lot of questions about James Bond 26, but this predicted villain casting would be incredibly exciting for the development of the next 007 reboot. Ever since Daniel Craig’s tenure as Bond ended with the release of No Time to Die, questions have been circling about Bond 26. The internet has been filled with rumors of whom the next actor to play James Bond will be, although this news still hasn’t been announced. However, rumors about who James Bond 26‘s villain will be are starting to pop up, and this potential pick is incredibly exciting.

James Bond villains are arguably just as important as the тιтular spy himself, which is why Bond 26 must get its new villain right. Whether Bond 26 focuses on an original villain character or adapts another classic Bond villain, the stakes are high for the upcoming film. Craig’s James Bond started out facing Casino Royale‘s Le Chiffre, with the Mads Mikkelsen villain being a fan-favorite throughout the franchise. So, Bond 26 also needs to start out with a bang, and this rumored villain casting means that it could do just that.

Cillian Murphy Is The Favorite To Play James Bond 26’s Villain

Will It Actually Happen?

As it turns out, Cillian Murphy is the favorite to play the villain in James Bond 26. This is according to the betting site OLBG, in which some James Bond fans are betting on who will play the antagonist in the next 007 film. Currently, Cillian Murphy has the highest odds, with him sitting at 18.2% as of the writing of this article. The next most likely candidate is Paul Giamatti at 15.4%, followed by David Dastmalchian at 13.3%, Zendaya at 12.5%, Giancarlo Esposito at 11.8%, and Helena Bonham Carter at 11.8%.

While these odds are not officially from the filmmakers behind Bond 26, it does signal that many fans expect Cillian Murphy to be the next pick for a 007 villain. Although it isn’t known if the studio has considered Murphy or if the actor would even be interested, this isn’t an impossible pull for James Bond 26. The recent history of the franchise has been filled with villain actors who have similar careers to Cillian Murphy. So, it would be incredibly exciting to see Murphy appear in Bond 26, especially for those OLBG users who have placed bets in his favor.

Cillian Murphy Playing Bond 26’s Villain Would Be An Exciting Return For Him

It Wouldn’t Be His First Villain Role

Cillian Murphy is one of the most popular actors in Hollywood right now thanks to his performance in 2023’s Oppenheimer, and having him return in Bond 26 would be incredibly exciting. While Murphy has already done projects since Oppenheimer, such as 2024’s Small Things Like These, Bond 26 would be his biggest film since the Christopher Nolan Oscar-winner. Bond 26 combined with his roles in the 28 Years Later trilogy would catapult Cillian Murphy back into the limelight, giving him two major franchises after his Oppenheimer success.

One reason that Murphy may be perfect for the Bond 26 villain role is that villainous characters are familiar to him. The actor has played villains before, most notably in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight trilogy. There, Murphy played Scarecrow, with him being a recurring character throughout the series. Murphy’s Scarecrow role proves that he can take a campy villain and turn him into something ᴅᴇᴀᴅly serious, a trait that could be helpful when rebooting an old James Bond villain for Bond 26.

Cillian Murphy also played Tommy Shelby in the series Peaky Blinders, another project that proves he is right for Bond 26. While he was the protagonist of the series, Tommy Shelby was a member of a criminal enterprise, meaning that Murphy can play incredibly complex characters. Murphy could play a similarly complex Bond 26 villain, giving a legendary performance that goes down in the history books of 007.

Cillian Murphy’s Casting Would Continue A Recent James Bond Villain Trend

Based On His Oscars Status

Interestingly, having Cillian Murphy play the villain of Bond 26 would perfectly continue a recent James Bond villain trend. Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies frequently made use of Oscar winners, leading to the series having some incredible performances. Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die all cast Oscar winners as their villains, those being Javier Bardem, Christoph Waltz, and Rami Malek respectively. While all three of these villains haven’t been universally beloved, their performances have undoubtedly been great.

Cillian Murphy would kick off the newest James Bond series by continuing this trend, hopefully starting a domino effect that causes this to continue into the future. Using these prestigious actors was one of the best choices that Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies could have made, with it helping to return Bond to its prestigious roots after several poorly-received films. Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies completely transformed the franchise, and if Cillian Murphy does wind up being the villain, it means that future Bond movies will probably be in the same vein as his.

Will Cillian Murphy Actually Get Cast As Bond 26’s Villain?

His Career Means He Could Be Interested

As of the writing of this article, Cillian Murphy’s involvement in Bond 26 is entirely speculation. While it is clear that a lot of fans want it, there is nothing official to go off of just yet. However, public outcry could lead the studio to consider Murphy, as the film is still clearly in its early stages of development. The next James Bond actor hasn’t even been announced yet, so it is doubtful that decisions are being made about the villain at this time. Thus, it will probably be a while until Murphy’s involvement is announced, if it does happen.

Interestingly, Cillian Murphy has given no reason to think that he would be uninterested in Bond 26. Murphy has been involved with big franchises before, such as The Dark Knight series and Peaky Blinders. This has continued in his post-Oppenheimer career, with him signing on to participate in the 28 Years Later trilogy. So, joining the James Bond franchise isn’t too much of a stretch, especially considering that he would probably only appear in one movie. On top of that, the prestige of the franchise would probably be appealing to him, with James Bond 26 offering a high-profile yet artful villain role.