Denis Villeneuve Reportedly To Seek ‘Unknown’ British Actor For Bond 26

Denis Villeneuve won’t be casting a big name as James Bond, as he’s reportedly set to seek an “unknown” British actor to play the role. Deadline reports that Villeneuve, who is directing Bond 26, will begin the search for the next 007 next year once he’s done with production on Dune: Part Three.

According to sources familiar with the situation, the director and his team are looking for a “fresh face” to play Bond, who will be male and played by a British actor. The casting is looking for someone who is potentially in his late 20s or early 30s to play the role.

There’s been plenty of speculation since Daniel Craig exited the role of bigger names like Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Timothée Chalamet, Glen Powell, Austin Butler, and Jacob Elordi, but that would likely not the case for the above reasons. Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jack Lowden, who have also been speculated for the role, are older than what Villeneuve is seeking as they’ll both be 37 when the film starts shooting in 2027. It was noted that it’s possible Bond could be played by a non-white actor, though that will come down to whether they’re right for the film and script.

Steven Knight is set to write the script for the film, which will be the first James Bond film made under the Amazon MGM Studios banner. While no release date is announced, the report notes from sources that the film is likely for a 2028 release date, potentially in the November spot that past Bond films have released in.