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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mercurius" data-source="post: 9828963" data-attributes="member: 59082">JAMES BONDWhat We Know: Nothing. At least as far as I can tell, and beyond the fact that Craig Bond died so anything they do will be a complete reboot, even if still known as Bond 26. We also know it will be James, not Jane.The Big Question - Who?: According to a brief AI-augmented search, Callum Turner (35) seems to be the current darling. But for gits and shiggles, I asked Chat GPT to create a top 10 speculative list, in order of likelihood, as of the end of 2025. Here is what it came up with:<table style='width: 100%'><tr><th>Actor</th><th>End-of-2025 Age</th><th>Notes / Why They’re in the Mix</th><th></th></tr><tr><td>1. Harris Dickinson</td><td>29 (born June 24, 1996) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harris_Dickinson?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>Strong mention on GQ and casting lists; fits the reported under-30 push. (<a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/new-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British GQ</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2. Jacob Elordi</td><td>28 (born June 26, 1997) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Elordi?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>Frequently cited on Amazon’s “wish list” and speculation roundups. (<a href="https://www.gamesradar.com/next-james-bond/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">GamesRadar+</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3. Callum Turner</td><td>35 (born Feb 15, 1990) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Callum_Turner?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>Longtime favorite rumoured by multiple outlets, including GQ. (<a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/new-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British GQ</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>4. Aaron Taylor-Johnson</td><td>35 (born June 13, 1990) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Taylor-Johnson?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>Bookies favorite and major rumoured contender; has action experience. (<a href="https://movieweb.com/james-bond-reboot-favorite-cast-aaron-taylor-johnson-action/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">MovieWeb</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>5. Regé-Jean Page</td><td>37 (born April 27, 1988) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reg%C3%A9-Jean_Page?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>Frequently floated fan-favorite; strong screen presence. (<a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/new-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British GQ</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>6. Jack Lowden</td><td>35 (born June 2, 1990) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Lowden?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>Considered in rumour discussions and fits a traditional British spy profile. (<a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/new-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British GQ</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>7. Joe Quinn</td><td>31 (born January 26, 1994) — age approximate</td><td>Emerging star with strong recent roles; mentioned in Vogue lists. (<a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/who-will-be-the-next-bond-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British Vogue</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>8. Finn Bennett</td><td>~26 (estimated mid-20s)</td><td>Younger rising actor cited in Vogue’s potential contenders. (<a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/who-will-be-the-next-bond-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British Vogue</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>9. Dev Patel</td><td>35 (born April 23, 1990 — not officially in our search results but widely known)</td><td>Suggested as a compelling choice due to action credentials in recent speculation. (<a href="https://www.vogue.co.uk/gallery/who-will-be-the-next-bond-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British Vogue</a>)</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>10. Theo James</td><td>41 (born Dec 16, 1984) (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theo_James?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</td><td>A historical contender with past rumour mentions, though less likely under the under-30 push. (<a href="https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/new-james-bond?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank">British GQ</a>)</td><td></td></tr></table>Chat GPT followed up by saying, "Denis Villeneuve is set to direct the next Bond film, with many outlets reporting a preference for a relatively unknown or younger British actor in his late-20s to early-30s."Notice no mention of Henry Cavill (42) or Tom Holland (29), presumably because Cavill is getting a bit long-in-the-tooth for a reboot and Holland is too...Peter Parkerish. I think the ship has long sailed on Tom Hardy (48) and Idris Elba (53), who would have been oldish for a reboot ten years ago (especially Elba).When? Another search pointed out that Villeneuve is filming Dune 3, which is set to release at the end of 2026, and that casting for Bond will really get going in 2026, with some suggesting mid-year. It also seems that Amazon has a list of seven candidates. Filming wouldn't begin until late 2026 at the earliest, with a release date likely sometime in 2028. Meaning, you really need to add about 2 years to the age of any of those actors, which starts making James, and maybe even Page, Patel, Lowden, Turner, and Taylor-Johnson as less likely.Finally, the WHAT - Who knows. The films long ago departed from Ian Flemings' books, both in terms of plot and vibe; I believe that The Living Daylights was the last film that was directly based off a book, aside from Casino Royale (I also just discovered that Quantum of Solace was named after an early short story, though I'm not sure if it shares and plot similarities). That said, because Casino Royale was such a successful re-visioning, I see no reason they can't re-do books into a contemporary idiom. And Skyfall in particular proves they can make great Bond films without Fleming stories.Threading the Needle: One thing they'll have to figure out is how to make Bond, Bond, while still making him palatable to modern audiences. I think they can look to Daniel Craig for that - he was still Bond, but fell in love and had his heart broken, while still being manly and with several love interests. Meaning, Bond doesn't have to be a womanizer, nor does he have to be totally revised to not offend anyone.In summary...A lot depends on who they cast. They've got a great director, one who (thankfully) is able to visually tell a tale, without overly obvious socio-political subtext or tribal signaling (one way or the other). Meaning, we can be reasonably sure that he'll make a good story-first film with Bond fans front and center. My guess is that they reboot in a similar fashion to Casino Royale: Bond on an early mission; if they go young enough, they could even present his first - but too young and don't want to risk "Boy Bond." But an actor in his late 20s to early 30s could still be a Bond who might have served in the military or some other fashion, and only become "007" in his early 30s.</blockquote>

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