Next James Bond hopeful Sam Heughan may have missed his 007 chance | Films | Entertainment
Daniel Craig played James Bond for the final time in 2021 when he took on the might of Safin in No Time To Die. Since then, the Bond odds have had a few massive British actors at the top of the ever-changing leaderboard, long before the official announcement comes presumably later this year.
Outlander hero Sam Heughan has been in the running for months – and he even auditioned for the role – but his dreams of becoming 007 could be over.
Earlier this week it was reported that Heughan is now “circling” an upcoming movie role.
The film in question is an adaptation of the PlayStation video game Days Gone – a post-apocalyptic game with a biker protagonist.
Deadline claimed Heughan is interested in the movie, which is being developed by Sony PlayStation Productions. This is the same film division that recently released the Uncharted movie (starring Spider-Man star Tom Holland).
If these reports are true, Heughan’s involvement in Days Gone may render his interest in the Bond franchise a lost cause.
Days Gone currently has a release date of “TBA” – meaning pre-production is in the very early stages, if at all.
Presumably, if it is due to hit cinemas in the next five years, Heughan will not have time to work on a Bond franchise. 007 films take months to film, as well as any other commitments he may need to carry out (promotion, reshoots, etc).
Does this mean Heughan is out of the race to become the next James Bond?
Ladbrokes do not seem to think so. In fact, the odds are still standing firm in the line-up of Bond hopefuls.
READ MORE: Next James Bond: Henry Cavill struggles to end stalemate in 007 race
Heughan added: “I went in with a script and they were like: ‘We might get you to read something from this scene’ but they don’t tell you what it’s from. After that, I was taken upstairs and I met [Bond boss] Barbara Broccoli and [Casino Royale director] Martin Campbell.”
The Jamie Fraser actor failed to get the role – but that is a common trait in Bond odds competitors, at the moment.
Currently, Henry Cavill is at the top of the leaderboard, with a staggering 2/1 from Ladbrokes.
However, he, too, auditioned for Craig’s role back in 2005.
Cavill was told he was “too fat” for the role, however. Devastating, right?
The Superman actor later admitted he “didn’t know” how to diet or train. Still, that puts him in the perfect position to claim the role this time around, more than 15 years later.
He has some stiff competition, though. Elsewhere in the odds is Tom Hardy, a favourite to the British public.
Currently, the Venom star has a powerful 5/1 from Ladbrokes.
Outlander is available on STARZ now.
