Emily Bashforth
Published January 30, 2026 8:40pm
Updated January 30, 2026 8:40pm
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The next James Bond villain could be about to flip the franchise on its head (Picture: Getty/Metro)
As speculation around who will be the next James Bond heats up, we’re turning our attention to another major character in the franchise – the villain.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been the favourite to take over from Daniel Craig since he bowed out as 007 in 2021’s No Time to Die.
But in recent months, names such as Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, and Henry Cavill have entered the mix, with bosses said to have a list of eight solid contenders for the coveted role.
Meanwhile, Sydney Sweeney, Zendaya, and even model Kendall Jenner are rumoured to be potential Bond Girls.
Amid all that noise, however, we’re drawing your attention to the more sinister role that still needs to be filled.
Some huge Hollywood actors have portrayed antagonists in Bond films, such as Christopher Walken in A View to a Kill, Sean Bean in GoldenEye, Andrew Scott in Spectre, and Rami Malek in No Time to Die.
Daniel Craig bowed out as 007 in 2021 (Picture: Col Pics/Everett/REX/Shutterstock)
Who's in the running to play James Bond?
The eight names currently said to be in the running are:
- Callum Turner
- Aaron Taylor-Johnson
- Tom Holland
- Henry Cavill
- Jacob Elordi
- Jack Lowden
- James Norton
- Harris Dickinson
- Theo James
For the next instalment, though, Bond’s opposition might look a little different.
Currently, Margot Robbie is the 13/8 favourite to face off against the suave spy next, which would upend the traditional Bond formula after years of several high-profile male villains.
Known for her roles in The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019), Barbie (2023), and the upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation, the Australian actress, 35, is certainly no stranger to a blockbuster film set.
And according to Gambling.com’s entertainment expert, James Leyfield, she could be about to switch the franchise on its head, following in the footsteps of Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd and Rosamund Pike’s Miranda Frost.
But Margot faces stiff competition.
Currently, Jessie Buckley, who won best actress at this year’s Golden Globes and Critics’ Choice Awards, is also in with a shot.
Margot Robbie is currently a frontrunner to be the next Bond antagonist (Picture: Samir Hussein/WireImage)
…but her Wuthering Heights co-star Jacob Elordi also looks to be in with a shot (Picture: Matt Baron/BEI/Shutterstock)
Rosamund Pike’s Miranda Frost appeared opposite Pierce Brosnan as a female Bond villain in 2002’s Die Another Day (Picture: Mgm/Eon/Kobal/Shutterstock)
Ahead of the Oscars – where she is a near certainty to make it a hat-trick – the Irish star, 36, is 15/8 to be the next female Bond villain, just in front of national treasure Olivia Colman, 52, (2/1).
Stellan Skarsgård, who is odds-on to secure a best supporting actor Oscar this season and who already has a best supporting actor Golden Globe, is firmly in with a chance too.
Following his 2026 awards ceremony success for the movie Sentimental Value, Skarsgård, 74, is now the 5/4 favourite, from 3/1, to be the next male Bond villain.
And while Skarsgard is looking likely to triumph over Saltburn’s Elordi, 28, at the Oscars, the pair could do battle once again when it comes to Bond casting, as the Euphoria heartthrob is at 11/8.
Other names thrown out there include Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy, 49, 70-year-old acclaimed film star Willem Dafoe, The Last of Us actor Pedro Pascal, 50, and the highly decorated John Malkovich, 72.
It’s currently unknown when we might expect to be making our next trip to the cinema for some fresh Bond action.
Jessie Buckley’s name is high up in the odds for the next villain to go up against Bond (Picture: Reuters)
Stellan Skarsgård’s odds are 5/4 (Picture: Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
However, according to industry insider Deadline film reporter Justin Kroll, cameras could start rolling again in just a few months.
‘I am predicting summer, if I had to be a betting man,’ Kroll said on the My Mom’s Basement podcast. ‘Because I think production will likely start [at the] end of this year/top of next.’
He continued: ‘Obviously, it could be a little sooner, but from everything people have said since I’ve been back, Bond is more likely middle of the year than first quarter.’
Of course, the main man himself is the breaking news we’re all eagerly waiting for, but the new Bond era is slowly taking shape.
In 2022, the franchise was acquired by Amazon MGM Studios. At the time, long-serving producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson confirmed they would retain creative control of the films through their own production company, Eon.
Then, last June, it was announced that Dune director Denis Villeneuve would helm the next film.
Cillian Murphy’s name has been thrown into the mix previously for both Bond and his villain (Picture: Duval/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)
And with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight penning the script, that’d surely make for a dream team, right? (Picture: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images)
However, Callum Turner is hot on the heels of all other potential Bonds (Picture: Gisela Schober/Getty Images)
‘Some of my earliest movie-going memories are connected to 007,’ he said in a statement released upon the news going public.
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‘I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory.’
Comment now Who do you want as the next Bond villain?Comment NowThe Canadian filmmaker added that he intends to ‘honour the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come’, calling the job both a ‘massive responsibility’ and ‘a huge honour’.
As for the plot, that is, naturally, being kept under wraps, but Bond fanatics can rest assured that they’re in safe hands, as Steven Knight is set to pen the script.
Tackling arguably his biggest project yet, the creator of Peaky Blinders, House of Guinness, teased last August: ‘It has always been on my bucket list, and it’s fantastic to be invited to do it – I can’t wait to get started.’
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