Josh O’Connor has become the subject of a new James Bond casting rumour, with a report claiming the British actor has already secured the role of 007. But fresh details about the auditions suggest the search for Daniel Craig’s successor may be more complicated than the latest headlines imply.
The claim originated in a report published by The Sun, which quoted an unnamed source who said they had spoken to a colleague of O’Connor’s from the recent stage production Golden Boy.
According to that account, the colleague allegedly revealed during a night out at a London pub that O’Connor had privately told the theatre cast he would be the next James Bond. The supposed disclosure reportedly happened during celebrations following the production’s final performance on Halloween.
There is one significant problem with the story: the information comes through an anonymous, second-hand account. Neither O’Connor nor Amazon MGM Studios has publicly confirmed the alleged casting decision.
Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult complicate the Bond rumours
The suggestion that O’Connor has already landed the role has emerged alongside new reporting that considerably expands the list of actors who auditioned.
According to Variety's latest reporting, Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult both participated in screen tests for the next Bond film.
Deadline has also reported that the two actors were among five candidates to undergo tests, alongside O’Connor, Callum Turner and Jack Lowden. A fifth audition was reportedly added late in the process, although the circumstances surrounding that addition remain unclear.
The development matters because previous coverage had concentrated heavily on O’Connor, Turner and Lowden. Pattinson and Hoult introduce two established Hollywood stars into a selection process that appeared, at least publicly, to be narrowing.
However, the existence of multiple screen tests does not establish whether the producers have subsequently reached a decision. It simply means that the reported casting of O’Connor remains unverified, rather than confirmed by the available evidence.
What Josh O’Connor has actually said about becoming James Bond
O’Connor, 36, has addressed the speculation himself, although his public comments have stopped short of confirming any involvement.
Speaking to the BBC in early November, the Challengers and The Crown actor described being associated with the role as an "incredibly bizarre pinch me moment". He said being considered in the same category as previous Bond actors was extraordinary, but declined to offer further details.
Those remarks were reported by Variety on November 4, before the latest claim about his supposed casting emerged.
Another quote circulating in connection with the speculation needs particular context. O’Connor's remark, "If I am Bond, I don't know about it," was made during a Deadline interview at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2025.
It was a response to much earlier speculation, not a denial of the alleged decision reported in November 2026. Treating the two statements as interchangeable would obscure an important difference in the timeline.
When will the next James Bond be officially announced?
For now, Amazon MGM Studios is keeping its casting decision private. In a statement issued in May 2026, the company confirmed that its search for the next Bond was underway but said it would not comment on specific details during the process.
Producer Amy Pascal has indicated that an announcement before the end of 2026 is a realistic possibility, although the studio has not committed to a public reveal date.
Several important elements of the upcoming film are already confirmed. Denis Villeneuve will direct, Steven Knight is writing the screenplay, and Pascal and David Heyman are producing.
The film will be the first new instalment developed under Amazon MGM's creative control following the franchise agreement reached in February 2025. It will also introduce the first new lead actor since Craig's departure in No Time to Die in 2021.
No official lead actor, film title or release date has been announced.
O’Connor remains a credible reported contender, but the pub anecdote does not establish that he has won the role. With Pattinson, Hoult, Turner and Lowden also linked to the final auditions, the decisive piece of information is still missing: confirmation from the people actually making the film.
