Next James Bond Casting Begins In 2026: An Unknown British Actor Will Be The New 007

A new report has surfaced revealing exactly when iconic director Denis Villeneuve aims to cast the next 007 for Bond 26, and what his criteria for this casting choice are. The next Bond movie, in development at Amazon MGM Studios, is being written by Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) and produced by Amy Pascal and David Heyman.

ᴅᴇᴀᴅline reports that Villeneuve will cast the next Bond sometime in 2026, after production is completed on Dune: Part Three, and that the movie is searching for a British male actor. Sources also say they are looking for a “fresh face,” meaning a relatively unknown actor will be cast.

This rules out a number of actors who were seen as potential choices, including Timothée Chalamet, Glen Powell, Austin Butler, Jacob Elordi, Harris Dickinson, Richard Madden, Henry Cavill, and Idris Elba, due to not being British or being too famous. However, reports of Scott Rose-Marsh being considered for Bond could still prove to be true.

Since Amazon acquired the James Bond franchise, the company is potentially moving forward with other James Bond spinoffs or prequels, but Bond 26 is the only project that has received considerable attention and has key creatives attached to it.

What This Update Means For Bond 26

Daniel Craig as James Bond at a bar in No Time To Die

Apparently, Villeneuve and his team are opting for a classic James Bond, rather than broadening the search to audition non-British actors. Plenty of actors are more than capable of adopting a British accent and could adeptly play the famous secret agent, but casting a British actor is the safest way to go, in keeping with the tradition of the franchise.

On the other hand, casting a relative unknown as Bond is potentially a smart move on the part of Villeneuve and Amazon. Actors who have stepped into the role before had different levels of fame beforehand — Daniel Craig was known in the industry, but Casino Royale doubtlessly launched him to a new level of stardom.

Yet entirely new talent seems like the right way to go, allowing the star to fully commit to a fresh version of the character without any preconceived notions of him as an actor weighing it down. Villeneuve and Knight can also work with this rising star to create their vision for the next Bond from the ground up.

Our Take On Bond 26’s Casting Update

Daniel Craig as James Bond casually holding a gun in Casino Royale

Maybe with the statement that the next Bond won’t be cast until 2026, speculation on this matter will shift to the back burner for a while. While Villeneuve works on Dune 3, Knight is still in the middle of questions about the upcoming Peaky Blinders movie. Yet when the star of Bond 26 is announced, there will still be a battle ahead to prove that the right choice was made, no matter how well-known the actor is.