Jack Lowden’s path to the 007 tuxedo just got a little bumpier. The 36-year-old Scottish actor had been the bookmakers’ favourite for months, but fresh odds released in early November 2026 show Callum Turner pulling ahead in the race to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond. The shift follows a tense round of final screen tests in London and a high-profile endorsement from a former 007 himself. Here is a complete breakdown of what changed, why it changed, and where the race stands right now.
The Odds Have Flipped: Turner Takes the Lead
Bookmaker William Hill cut Callum Turner’s odds of becoming the next Bond from 3/1 to 8/13 in the first week of November. That dramatic shortening placed Turner ahead of Jack Lowden, whose odds drifted to 2/1. Josh O’Connor, the third confirmed finalist, sits further back at 9/2, while names like Richard Madden, Robert Pattinson, and Joe Alwyn are listed at 16/1.
The numbers tell a clear story. Before the shift, Lowden had been trading at 8/11 and even 4/7 with some bookmakers in late October. A ScreenRant fan poll from the same period showed Lowden with a commanding 49.8% of the vote, far ahead of Turner at 13.3% and O’Connor at 7.1%. The betting market and the fan vote were, for a moment, moving in opposite directions. The bookies have now caught up with a different reality: Turner’s momentum is real, and it is growing.
What Sparked the Change?
Two events in quick succession shifted the conversation. First, reports emerged that Turner had resigned as a director of Twentytwo Films Ltd, the production company he founded with his wife, pop star Dua Lipa, in August 2025. Industry observers read the move as a sign that Turner’s professional priorities were clearing up for a major new commitment. No official link to Bond was confirmed, but the timing raised eyebrows across the industry.
Second, Pierce Brosnan — who played 007 in four films between 1995 and 2002 — publicly endorsed Turner. Brosnan and Turner worked together on the 2017 film The Only Living Boy in New York, where Turner played Brosnan’s son. Speaking to Vanity Fair, Brosnan did not hold back.
“Callum is someone I’ve worked with,” Brosnan said. “And he’s so strong.”
Brosnan also praised the broader shortlist, saying the actors on it “all have a voice and a physique, and a presence on film”. The endorsement carried weight. Brosnan is not a peripheral figure in Bond history; he is part of the franchise’s modern identity, and his words landed just as the final screen tests were being digested by the press.
Jack Lowden’s Road: From Frontrunner to Challenger
Lowden’s candidacy was never built on hype alone. The Slow Horses star has spent years building a reputation as one of Britain’s most versatile actors. He trained at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, broke through on stage in productions of Ghosts and Electra, and made his major screen mark in the 2016 BBC adaptation of War & Peace. Roles in Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots, and Slow Horses followed. His performance as River Cartwright in the Apple TV+ spy drama earned him two Primetime Emmy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination.
That spy pedigree made him an obvious fit for Bond in the eyes of many fans. He already knew how to wear a suit, deliver a clipped line, and carry the weight of a covert operation. His Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman publicly backed him, telling a Canadian outlet that he had heard Lowden was on the shortlist.
“They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet,” Oldman said. “So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”
Oldman later clarified that he had only heard a rumour, not a confirmed casting decision. Lowden himself has stayed measured. Speaking to GQ Hype in early November, he called the speculation “all very flattering” but refused to add fuel to the fire.
“It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I’m just not really going to add to the noise,” Lowden said.
He also addressed Oldman’s comments with warmth but distance: “Gary’s a sweetheart – it’s particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don’t really listen to it”.
Callum Turner’s Quiet Climb
Turner’s profile has been rising steadily, but his path to the Bond conversation has been different from Lowden’s. The 36-year-old Londoner began as a model before breaking through in John Boorman’s 2014 drama Queen and Country. He went on to appear in the Fantastic Beasts films as Theseus Scamander, in George Clooney’s The Boys in the Boat, and in the 2025 romantic comedy Eternity. He is also set to appear in the Apple TV+ cyberpunk series Neuromancer in January 2027.
Turner has been careful not to confirm or deny his involvement in the Bond process. In an interview with Esquire in August 2026, he was direct about his reluctance to comment.
“I don’t know anything, so I can’t comment,” Turner said. “There’s nothing for me to comment on.”
He added that the subject was “just so loaded” that commenting would serve no purpose. That silence, in the context of the odds shift, reads less like disinterest and more like procedure. Final-stage Bond candidates are routinely asked to sign non-disclosure agreements, and Turner’s public restraint fits the pattern.
Josh O’Connor: The Honoured Outsider
Josh O’Connor, best known for playing Prince Charles in Netflix’s The Crown, remains in the conversation but at longer odds. The 36-year-old has described the speculation as surreal.
“It’s an incredibly bizarre pinch-me moment,” O’Connor told the BBC. “Even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that.”
He called the consideration “extraordinary” and said he was “very honoured,” but added that there was “nothing to say beyond that”. O’Connor’s distance from the front of the pack does not mean he is out. The final screen tests included him, and the identity of a fourth, unnamed candidate has kept the race open in the minds of some observers.
The Mystery Fourth Candidate
Reports from Deadline, Variety, and The Hollywood Reporter all confirmed that four actors were called in for final screen tests at Bray Studios in London in late October 2026. Three names are public: Lowden, Turner, and O’Connor. The fourth has not been officially revealed. Speculation has pointed toward Joe Alwyn, partly because casting director Nina Gold has a long professional relationship with him, and partly because his presence in London around the time of the tests raised questions. No source has confirmed Alwyn’s involvement, and the mystery remains unresolved.
The Production Picture: A New Era Under Amazon MGM
Whoever takes the role will step into a franchise that has changed hands at the highest level. In March 2025, Amazon MGM Studios gained full creative control of James Bond, ending the long stewardship of Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The upcoming film — often referred to as Bond 26 — will be the first entry produced entirely under the new regime.
The creative team is already in place. Denis Villeneuve, the director behind Dune and Arrival, is set to direct. Steven Knight, the creator of Peaky Blinders, has written the script. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing. Nina Gold, whose casting credits include Game of Thrones, The Crown, and Star Wars: The Force Awakens, is leading the search for the next Bond. Gold’s involvement signals that the process is being treated with the kind of precision that has defined her career.
What the Actors Themselves Have Said
The three confirmed finalists have all addressed the speculation in their own way, and their words reveal how carefully the process is being handled.
Jack Lowden has been graceful and non-committal, praising the attention without feeding it. Callum Turner has said almost nothing, which in the context of a high-stakes casting process is itself a statement. Josh O’Connor has been the most open, calling the experience “bizarre” and “extraordinary” while making clear that he has no details to share.
“To be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary,” O’Connor said. “It’s an incredibly bizarre pinch-me moment.”
Even Gary Oldman, Lowden’s co-star and one of his most vocal supporters, walked back the certainty of his earlier comments. At the Toronto International Film Festival, Oldman clarified that he had heard a rumour about a shortlist and a decision, not a confirmed casting. “I do not know [who has got the part], but I’m hoping it’s Jack,” he said.
Fan Reaction: Polls vs. Bookies
The gap between fan sentiment and betting momentum is one of the more interesting subplots of this race. The ScreenRant poll that showed Lowden with nearly 50% support was taken before the odds shift. On social media, the conversation has been split. Some users have pointed to Lowden’s Slow Horses performance as proof that he already has the skill set for Bond. Others have argued that Turner’s relative distance from the franchise spotlight makes him a fresher choice.
The betting market, however, moves faster than polls. William Hill’s decision to cut Turner’s odds to 8/13 — an implied probability of roughly 62% — suggests that serious money is backing the Fantastic Beasts actor. Bookmakers do not always get these calls right, but they respond to patterns of information that are not always visible to the public. The shift is a signal, not a verdict.
Timeline: When Will the Decision Be Announced?
Amy Pascal, one of the producers, has said that a casting announcement is likely to arrive “by the end of the year”. That window points to a reveal in late November or December 2026. Production on the film is expected to begin in 2027, with a release date targeted for 2028. The film has not received an official title, and Amazon MGM has not confirmed a specific release date.
For global audiences, the timeline means the next Bond actor will be known well before the film enters production. Fans in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, India, and other markets will all learn the name at roughly the same moment, assuming the announcement is handled as a global press event. The 2028 release window gives the production team room to build a campaign around a new lead, which is standard practice for a franchise reboot of this scale.
What Lowden’s Supporters Are Saying
Lowden’s backing has come from several corners of the industry. Gary Oldman’s endorsement was the most high-profile, but Kristin Scott Thomas, who worked with Lowden on stage and in Slow Horses, has also been reported as a supporter. His stage background — including an Olivier Award — gives him a credibility that extends beyond screen acting. For Bond traditionalists, that combination of theatre training, spy-genre experience, and Scottish heritage (he would be the first Scottish Bond since Sean Connery) is a compelling package.
Turner’s supporters point to a different set of qualities. His physical presence, his modelling background, and his ability to move between blockbuster franchises and smaller dramas suggest a versatility that could serve a long-term Bond run. Brosnan’s endorsement reinforced that view.
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The Bottom Line Right Now
No official casting decision has been announced by Amazon MGM Studios. The odds have shifted, the endorsements have landed, and the final screen tests have been completed, but the studio has kept its position private. Jack Lowden remains a serious contender, and a 2/1 line is not a dismissal. Callum Turner is now the bookmakers’ favourite, and Pierce Brosnan’s words have added weight to that momentum. Josh O’Connor is in the race but at a distance. A fourth, unnamed actor keeps a degree of uncertainty in the picture.
The next concrete development will be the official announcement. Until then, the only numbers that matter are the ones on the bookmakers’ boards — and those numbers currently point toward Turner, while the fan vote and the critical reputation of Slow Horses keep Lowden firmly in the conversation.
Also Read: Pierce Brosnan Backs Callum Turner as Next James Bond: “He’s So Strong”
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