While plans for Bond 26 are quickly gaining pace, Spider-Man star Tom Holland has responded to rumors that he is in contention for the H๏τly contested role. Set to be directed by Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, news only recently broke that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight had been tapped to write the next entry in the long-running spy franchise.

However, before Knight’s recent appointment as the Bond 26 screenwriter, reports intimated that Amazon MGM studios were potentially looking to cast an actor under 30 years of age as the next 007, and had named Holland, Saltburn’s Jacob Elordi, and Babygirl’s Harris Dickinson at the top of their James Bond shortlist.

During an appearance on chef Gordon Ramsay’s YouTube channel, Holland sought to downplay rumors of his inclusion on the 007 casting shortlist. Suggesting that they should keep the speculation to a minimum, Holland hinted that the actual answer to who would be cast as Bond would be revealed eventually. Check out his comments below:

Listen, there’s speculation at the moment. We’ll keep it to a minimum for now. We’ll get there one day.

Ramsay also quizzed the star on his interest in the role. Holland coyishly replied that every young British actor aspired to play Bond, which he described as “the pinnacle of working in our industry.” Check out his final comments and the video below:

Dude, I mean every young British actor, it’s the pinnacle of working in our industry. I already consider myself to be the luckiest kid alive you know, I could not have dreamed to have the career that I have.

What Tom Holland’s Comments Mean For His Potential Bond Casting

Even before Daniel Craig finished his time as Bond in No Time To Die, speculation surrounding his successor had already begun in earnest. With names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Richard Madden and Idris Elba all floated at one point or another, this latest shortlist seems like another round of conjecture in a rumor mill that has already been turning for years.

As such, perhaps it may be best to heed Holland’s advice and keep the speculation of his possible casting in the role to a minimum. While Holland does seem open to the prospect of playing Bond, fans have often been taken by surprise by the eventual casting decisions made at previous points in the James Bond franchise’s decades-long history.

Even the prospect of Bond 26 pursuing an under-30s actor may be best taken with a proverbial grain of salt, given that previous franchise stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson had also flirted with the idea of a younger Bond before finally settling on Craig.

Our Take On Tom Holland’s 007 Chances

If the history of James Bond casting decisions has demonstrated anything, it is that sometimes some of the franchise’s best choices were unable to be predicted ahead of time. Moreover, more recent reports have also pointed to current Bond producers, Amy Pascal and David Heyman, wanting to hold off on casting the role until the script is complete.

With both Villeneuve and Knight now officially onboard for Bond 26, it will largely be their creative decisions in launching the next era of the James Bond franchise that determine who the best actor will be. Holland may currently sit atop an unconfirmed shortlist of possible contenders, but that is still a very long way from being officially confirmed for the role.

Source: Gordon Ramsay