From dragons to 007 baddie? A House of the Dragon star is rumoured

Whispers from the latest Bond rumour mill suggest that the next 007 villain could have a familiar face for anyone who spent last year glued to House of the Dragon. So, brace yourself: Ewan Mitchell is apparently in the running to play James Bond's next on-screen adversary.

The Villain Shortlist

Mitchell, who made a name for himself as the icy Prince Aemond Targaryen in HBO's Game of Thrones spin-off, is the latest name floating around for the Bond baddie. Word is, Amazon MGM wants someone fresh — not your usual Hollywood A-lister — but with a face you don’t forget. According to a report that’s doing the rounds (originating with The Sun, so the standard pinch of salt applies), the studio has its eyes firmly set on Mitchell because of his age and chameleonic CV.

Amazon is apparently looking for an 'up-and-coming name rather than an established star and someone with a very distinctive look.'

Of course, this is still firmly in rumour territory — Amazon MGM haven't dropped a single official name for the film's cast yet, villain or otherwise, so treat all of this as just an appetiser for now.

Mitchell isn’t exactly a one-trick pony, either. Alongside his dragon-riding villainy, he’s picked up credits in Saltburn, Wuthering Heights, The Last Kingdom, and World on Fire. At 29, if he gets this gig, he’ll be thrown in amongst the likes of Rami Malek, Mads Mikkelsen, Javier Bardem, and Christoph Waltz — not terrible company for a villain role.

Ewan Mitchell, best known for House of the Dragon, is rumoured to be Amazon MGM's top pick for the new Bond villain.

The Next 007 Himself

But what about Bond himself? Despite relentless fan speculation, Amazon MGM aren’t showing their cards just yet. There’s been no official decision (or at least, none they’re ready to share) on who’s stepping into the tux for Bond’s rebooted era.

The grapevine, though, is doing what it does best. Out of the murk have surfaced a handful of possible names — everyone from Callum Turner (Fantastic Beasts, The Capture) and Jacob Elordi (Euphoria) to Harris Dickinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Jack Lowden. Louis Partridge’s name got a mention in a Variety report, and it’s been said that up-and-comer Tom Francis even turned up for an audition. Usual suspects like Henry Cavill, Paul Mescal, Jack O'Connell, and Tom Hardy have all been tossed in the mix as well.

Plot twist: the entire Bond franchise is now under the Amazon MGM banner, who snapped it up last year, so studio decision-making might be less predictable than it used to be. Behind the camera, Denis Villeneuve is attached to direct — so expect things to get a bit grander and a touch moodier — working off a script written by Steven Knight (of Peaky Blinders and Locke fame). David Heyman and Amy Pascal are on producing duties, with Tanya Lapointe executive producing, if you’re keeping track of the industry players behind the curtain.