Margaret Qualley leads Sydney Sweeney in the odds to play the next Bond girl

There is officially a queue around the block for the next Bond girl gig, and the bookies have turned it into a spectator sport. If you thought nabbing that coveted spot involved only a sultry audition and a killer gown, think again: Hollywood’s finest are in a full-on odds battle, and some names might surprise you.

Sydney Sweeney trails Margaret Qualley in bookmaker odds for the next Bond girl, at 25% versus 33%.

Sydney Sweeney is one of the better-known names on the list—social media has been shipping her into the franchise for months. But according to the latest figures from BetOnline, she’s not at the front of the pack. That honour currently sits with Margaret Qualley, who nabs a 33% chance versus Sweeney’s 25%. If you’re curious about who’s still in the running, Florence Pugh is next at 17%, Zendaya at 13%, Lauren Sánchez at 5%, and then Kate Winslet with a rather minimal 4%. After that, the oddsmakers lump a handful of others—think Margot Robbie, Scarlett Johansson—into the 3% category. If your favourite isn’t on that list, you can probably give up hope for now.

More than one Bond girl?

Because this is Bond, there’s every chance more than one actress could walk away with a major role in the new film. It’s become standard for 007 movies to have multiple standout women—sometimes even more than the main event Bond Girl herself—so if your preferred contender isn’t the sole pick, they could still pop up in a scene-stealer role.

The 007 search

While everyone's placing bets on the Bond girl, the elephant in the room is, of course: who’s suiting up as James Bond himself now that Daniel Craig’s smouldered off into the sunset? Reports say the final shortlist includes Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, and Jack O’Connell—all apparently gearing up for some sort of ultimate Bond “test” (whatever that ends up meaning; presumably a lot of brooding and wristwatch glances).

• Jack Lowden heads the betting for 007, supposedly with a 62% shot, according to Oddschecker.
• Callum Turner trails at 25%.
• Josh O’Connor shows up with 13%.
• Richard Madden, Jacob Elordi, and Jack O’Connell are all distant possibilities, floating around the 7–11% range.

One twist to this all: these odds are coming from UK and US gaming sites obsessed with breaking out tiny percentage differences, so—take your own pinch of salt. But the three frontrunners are all expected to do the classic secret agent audition circuit, and the ultimate nod belongs to Amazon MGM Studios.

For what it’s worth, there’s a proper heavy-hitter behind the scenes. Denis Villeneuve is steering the next James Bond film, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. Plenty of insider chatter, but not a single official announcement yet—so those odds could flip quicker than Bond swaps cars.