Is Josh O’Connor the Next James Bond? A New Report Claims the ‘Challengers’ Star Has Landed 007

The hunt for Daniel Craig’s successor as James Bond has produced plenty of rumors, but a new report claiming Josh O’Connor has been cast as 007 is generating more buzz than most. The next film will be the first Bond movie since Amazon took control of the franchise, with Denis Villeneuve directing. Craig’s final outing came in 2021’s ‘No Time to Die’.

The search has narrowed considerably in recent weeks. The search for the new Bond officially began in May, and producer Amy Pascal has said the actor will be revealed before the end of the year. Reports then claimed final screen tests were taking place with 4 actors, including Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and O’Connor.

Now The Sun claims to know the winner. The British tabloid reports that O’Connor has been cast as the next James Bond, citing a source who says they heard the news from one of the actor’s castmates. Neither O’Connor nor Amazon MGM Studios has confirmed the casting.

The story behind the report is unusual, to say the least. According to The Sun, the source met one of O’Connor’s castmates from the stage play ‘Golden Boy’ at The French House, a pub in London’s Soho. The 2 got talking, and the castmate allegedly insisted that O’Connor was the next 007.

The castmate reportedly claimed O’Connor had shared the news with the cast during celebratory drinks after ‘Golden Boy’ finished its run on Halloween. The source also described the castmate as clearly very proud of O’Connor and what the role could mean for his career. That said, the report comes with a big caveat. It’s essentially secondhand pub chatter, and no official announcement has been made by the studio or the filmmakers.

Denis Villeneuve says he’s having a "great time" screening actors for the upcoming James Bond movie. 📍 LACMA Art+Film Gala https://t.co/FgNYHowBb6

— Variety (@Variety) November 8, 2026

O’Connor has addressed the speculation, though he hasn’t confirmed anything. Speaking to the BBC earlier this week, he described being mentioned alongside Bond as an incredibly bizarre pinch-me moment and said he felt very honoured just to be considered for something that big.

This isn’t the first time he has been asked about the role. Back in January 2025, he told Deadline he had no idea where things stood and joked that if he was Bond, nobody had told him.

At the time, he explained that the chatter seemed to start after he joked about how fun the role would be and then did an interview with Craig. The 36-year-old actor has steadily built an impressive résumé. He won an Emmy for playing Prince Charles in ‘The Crown’, and he starred opposite Zendaya in ‘Challengers’.

The mission that changes everything begins… #NoTimeToDie is in theaters this November. https://t.co/TVR2R9saC8

— Amazon MGM Studios (@AmazonMGMStudio) September 3, 2020

O’Connor isn’t the only name in the conversation. Gary Oldman has claimed the new Bond has already been cast, and he backed his ‘Slow Horses’ co-star Lowden for the role. Lowden himself has kept quiet, saying it’s nice to be considered for any role but that he doesn’t want to add to the noise.

Former Bond star Pierce Brosnan has weighed in as well. In an interview with Vanity Fair, he praised the actors reportedly in the running and singled out Turner, his co-star in ‘The Only Living Boy in New York’. Jacob Elordi has also been linked to the role in recent reports.

Villeneuve, for his part, recently said he’s having a great time screening actors for the film. Filming is expected to begin in 2027, with the movie reportedly slated for 2028. Until Amazon MGM makes an official announcement, The Sun’s claim remains just that: a claim. But if the reports are accurate, fans may not have to wait much longer to find out whether O’Connor really is about to trade the stage for a tuxedo and a license to kill.

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