James Bond reboot has a new favorite as a dark horse storms the 007 race

If you feel like it's been ages since a new Bond film, you're not wrong. We're now pushing five years since Daniel Craig's swan song, and given the regular churn in that franchise, this is practically a drought. But there are changes afoot, and not minor ones: Amazon's in the driver's seat for the next era of 007, and frankly, nobody seems entirely sure what that's going to look like yet.

That hasn't stopped the speculation machine from going into overdrive, mind you. Every week it feels like another 'source' or bookmaker is touting a new front-runner for the tuxedo and Walther PPK. Usual suspects Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, and Henry Cavill have all hovered around the top of those lists, but here's one for you—Tom Brittney has now made it clear he’s in the running, and he's not exactly hiding his enthusiasm.

The New Bond Era: What We Actually Know

First, a bit of solid footing amidst the rumour tornado:

• Amazon is in charge, after that mega-acquisition of MGM.
• Director: Denis Villeneuve, so expect it to be stylish and possibly a tad existential if his work on Dune and Blade Runner 2049 is anything to go by.
• Writer: Steven Knight—yes, the fellow behind Peaky Blinders scribbling the next Bond script.
• The next film is officially the 26th in the main series, picking things up after Daniel Craig’s version exited in literally dramatic fashion at the end of No Time to Die (which, if you missed it, involved less 'retire to Jamaica' and more 'explosive heroics').

The Brittney Factor

So about Tom Brittney—best known to UK telly fans for his run as the impossibly earnest vicar-sleuth in Grantchester, with stints in Tom Hanks’s World War II flick Greyhound and the recent Netflix action caper Back in Action. He might not have quite the public profile of some of the other names floating about, but that’s arguably to his benefit (the Broccolis do tend to favour a slightly lower-key choice rather than an obvious blockbuster headline).

Brittney, aged 35, is in the curious position of being both a genuine fan and a serious contender—he only just missed snapping up the Superman cape in James Gunn’s DC relaunch (David Corenswet bagged it in the end), so his blockbusting credentials are about as tested as they come without actually having the gig.

'Love to Play Bond': What Brittney Actually Said

At the premiere for new MGM+ crime drama The Westies, MovieWeb pressed him about all these spy-film whispers. Brittney was pretty direct:

'I mean, I was a massive Bond fan. I watched them every single Wednesday night on TV. I'd love to do both. I'd love to play Batman and Bond, yeah. Aim high.'

(You’re not imagining it—he really does want to be Batman as well, and with recent casting shakeups in both Gotham and MI6, why not?)

Where Things Stand Now

Brittney has thrown his hat in the ring at a time when, by all accounts, auditions are underway and Amazon is trying to figure out what their version of Bond even looks like. His age might raise the odd eyebrow—Craig was 37 when he debuted in Casino Royale, so 35 isn’t outside the usual range—but he’s got precisely the right mixture of British charisma, leading man looks, and not-so-glossy CV that has worked for previous Bonds. And after coming within touching distance of Superman, it’s clear he isn’t unfamiliar with high stakes auditions either.

At this stage, all we’ve got is one actor openly volunteering for what remains one of the most sought-after film gigs on the planet, but if Amazon is paying attention, they’ll at least have scribbled down his name. Tom Brittney. No pressure.