Gary Oldman says the producers have already picked the next Bond, and it's his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden
Gary Oldman has dropped a tantalising hint that MI6 may have made its pick — suggesting the hunt for the next James Bond could be over.
Breathe easy, Bond fans: after endless chatter and speculation, it sounds like the great James Bond sweepstakes might finally—finally—be over. Well, sort of. Gary Oldman has popped up with what sounds suspiciously like actual 007 gossip, and it’s about his Slow Horses co-star, no less.
Gary Oldman’s ‘accidental’ Bond scoop
While doing the rounds for Slow Horses, Oldman turned up on Canada’s The Morning Show and casually stirred the Bond rumour pot to boiling. Oldman was asked the inevitable question about the next Bond, and instead of offering the usual diplomatic shrugs, he went right out and named Jack Lowden—his own Slow Horses co-lead—as the one to watch. Apparently, the producers have made their pick for the next 007… but they’re not shouting about it just yet.
Here’s how Oldman put it in the interview:
We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.
Now, is Oldman just rooting for his mate, or does he actually know something from the inside? Hard to tell. He admitted it’s all ‘rumoured’ at this point, and there’s absolutely nothing official from Amazon MGM Studios. But if he’s even halfway right, Jack Lowden might be swapping MI5 for MI6 sooner than we thought.
Oldman’s tip comes after months of bookies’ odds and endless “shortlists”. If he’s right, the search for Daniel Craig’s successor is basically a done deal—just waiting for an official reveal.
The shortlist—and the runners-up
According to the rumour mill, Lowden’s not the only one to have his ‘shaken, not stirred’ moment. The usual suspects—Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harris Dickinson—have all had their names thrown in the hat at different points. None have been confirmed, and frankly, some sound likelier than others.
- Jack Lowden – per Oldman, apparently the favourite
- Callum Turner
- Jacob Elordi
- Henry Cavill
- Tom Hardy
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Harris Dickinson
The next Bond movie—what we actually know
Details about the new Bond outing itself are just as locked up as the casting. What’s clear: Amazon MGM Studios are backing it. Denis Villeneuve is attached to direct (presumably when he’s finished whatever’s next on his sci-fi vision board) and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is writing the script. Beyond that, Amazon isn’t saying a word—no cast, no date, no clue on the plot. After Daniel Craig’s drawn-out farewell, you probably wouldn’t expect anything less.
Slow Horses ties in
Meanwhile, Oldman and Lowden aren’t exactly waiting by the phone. They’re both appearing in Slow Horses Season 6, Apple TV+’s sharp little spy drama where Oldman’s Jackson Lamb is tasked with babysitting Lowden’s River Cartwright at MI5. If you need a Bond audition reel, Lowden’s already got six series’ worth of British espionage under his belt. The new season lands on 16 September.
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