Next James Bond hopeful James Norton has massive advantage over Hardy

Daniel Craig brought his round of James Bond films to an end in 2021 after the release of No Time To Die. Since then, the hunt has been on for his replacement in the highly-coveted 007 role. In recent weeks, James Norton has become one of the favourites in the betting, and his lead may be about to get even bigger.

Norton has recently been awarded a staggering 4/1 odds from leading bookmaker Ladbrokes. This places him third in the leaderboard, behind Bond odds stalwart Henry Cavill and fellow newcomer Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Norton may have an ace up his sleeve, though. He’s currently starring in the hit BBC show Happy Valley alongside Sarah Lancashire and Siobhan Finneran. And, while he has been a large part of the series thus far, he is predicted to become an even bigger mainstay in the final few episodes of the series.

As a result, his popularity will only continue to increase in the coming weeks, plastering his face and name all over the internet, and making him an even more tasty candidate for the Bond bosses to scoop up.

Hardy has become a fan favourite in the past, with rumours even swelling in 2020 that he had already been cast as Craig’s replacement in secret. While these rumours were never confirmed nor denied, his name has remained in the running for the role.

The 45-year-old has even previously spoken out about taking on the role – but he struggled to break his silence on the matter.

Hardy previously posited: “You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. If I mention it, it’s gone.”

As a result, he has remained on the back bench in the Bond betting, with a relatively meagre 8/1 on the leaderboard.

The aforementioned Marvel hero, Taylor-Johnson, is still at the top of the odds, at the moment. The former Quicksilver star has been awarded unbelievable 2/1 odds on grabbing the role. These numbers followed rumours that he had “met with Bond bosses” behind the scenes.

What’s more, the meeting with the series creators apparently “went well”. Could he have already claimed the role without fans knowing it?

Cavill has long been a powerful favourite with fans, as well. He currently has 2/1 on claiming the role, as well, but he has not yet been confirmed to don the tuxedo and grab a martini.