A new contender for Bond 26 has now emerged, with a surprising star now making waves. Daniel Craig was the most recent actor to play the iconic British spy, and he bid farewell to the franchise after five movies with No Time To Die in 2021.

Now, Amazon has gained creative control of the James Bond franchise, and the company is already making progress on a new movie. Dune director Denis Villeneuve is officially directing Bond 26, with the next orders of business being finding a screenwriter and, crucially, casting the new 007.

Per Oddschecker, actor Scott Rose-Marsh, 37, has now become a popular betting choice as the next Bond. In the UK, the actor is now in sixth place as the favorite to take over for Craig after previously not being included on the odds list at all.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 35, remains the frontrunner on the betting site, with Aaron Pierre, Theo James, Tom Holland, and Jack Lowden following. Interestingly, Rose-Marsh is a very new addition to Oddschecker, not even making the list prior to June 14. Looking specifically at Betfair, Scott-Marsh has odds of 6/4 while Taylor-Johnson is at 1/50.

What This Means for Bond 26

Scott Rose-Marsh’s Previous Projects Explained

It’s important to note that Rose-Marsh appearing as a contender on a betting site is not a sign that he has any real chance at being cast. Officially, Amazon has not revealed who may be in the running to be the new 007, and it remains unclear whether any of the betting frontrunners are actually in contention.

It is interesting, however, that Rose-Marsh beats two recently floated names. A report from Variety earlier this month suggested that Amazon and Villeneuve were looking to cast a younger actor as Bond, with Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson listed as top choices. As of writing, Rose-Marsh is a betting favorite ahead of both Elordi and Dickinson.

If Rose-Marsh were to be cast, this would fit with 007 announcements for past Bond movies. The British actor doesn’t really have any major movie credits under his belt, appearing in relatively underseen films like Wolves of War (2022) and Code of Silence (2021), in addition to Welsh-language miniseries Yr Amgueddfa.

Craig, similarly, wasn’t a major star before Casino Royale (2006), with his most notable leading role being Layer Cake (2004). He also had supporting roles in films like Road to Perdition (2002) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001). Rose-Marsh, though, is even lesser-known than Craig was, and his casting would likely be a major surprise considering the other contenders.

Our Take On Scott Rose-Marsh’s James Bond Odds

Why He Might Be A Strong Choice

Though Rose-Marsh’s Bond 26 casting seems like a bit of a long sH๏τ, this could be exactly what the franchise needs. Amazon’s first instinct could be cast a bigger name like Holland or Elordi in order to maximize audience interest, but this new iteration of 007 could benefit from a relative unknown.

Unlike with Holland and Elordi, audiences, for the most part, don’t have a pre-existing relationship with Rose-Marsh, and this could allow him to more fully become the character. He would be starting from more of a blank slate compared to other actors, who may come with a little more baggage.

Though it remains unclear who will actually be cast as the new 007, interest is evidently high in this new incarnation of the character from one of Hollywood’s most acclaimed and beloved filmmakers. Villeneuve may have his hands full with the upcoming Dune: Part Three at the moment, but more official news regarding Bond 26 may not be far off.

Source: Oddschecker