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- Cillian Murphy (+500) is the chalk choice to play the villain in the next installment of the iconic spy franchise
- Christopher Nolan and David Michod are +400 co-favorites to direct the upcoming 007 movie
- The next James Bond film is expected to rebrand with an entirely new cast
The 25th installment in the James Bond franchise, No Time To Die, earned over $774 million worldwide. Yet, the film’s producers have yet to announce who will play Britain’s most famous spy in the next movie. Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the current favorite, but who will be cast as the villain and who will direct the forthcoming 007 project?
With no shortage of choices, let’s look at the odds for both. You can also check out the top betting sites for Entertainment in 2024 and get the latest Oscars Betting Odds.
Next James Bond Villain
| Actor |  |  |  |
| Cillian Murphy | +500 | +500 | +500 |
| Paul Giamatti | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| David Dastmalchian | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| Giancarlo Esposito | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Helena Bonham Carter | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Zendaya | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Emma Stone | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Hugh Jackman | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Jack Black | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Kevin Bacon | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Mads Mikkelsen | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Robert De Niro | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Willem Defoe | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Gary Oldman | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
| Margot Robbie | +1400 | +1400 | +1400 |
Cillian Murphy the chalk pick
Cillian Murphy (+500) is coming off a Best Actor Oscar win for Oppenheimer. While that would seemingly make him two “big” for the role, other Academy Award winners have done exactly the same thing. Rami Malek played the villain in No Time To Die shortly after his award-winning performance as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
Two-time Oscar winner Christoph Waltz played Craig’s nemesis in Spectre and Javier Bardem played the bad guy in Skyfall following his Academy Award triumph in No Country for Old Men. Plus, everyone can agree that Cillian Murphy looks kinda creepy.
According to @TheSun, Cillian Murphy’s performance in ‘OPPENHEIMER’ impressed James Bond bosses. He is now the frontrunner for the role.
Do you think this would be a good fit? pic.twitter.com/7Pc1NMvuTO
— Christopher Nolan Art & Updates (@NolanAnalyst) March 10, 2024
Other notable names
Paul Giamatti (+600) could be in the mix after receiving a Best Supporting Actor nomination for The Holdovers. If he kept his lazy eye from that film, he might be a shoo-in. Giancarlo Esposito (+800) of Breaking Bad fame likely doesn’t have the necessary star power.
Of everyone on the board, are best bet is Emma Stone (+1200). The two-time Academy Award winner has never shied away from making interesting career choices and could benefit from being in a bonafide blockbuster.
Next James Bond Director
| Director | | | |
| Christopher Nolan | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| David Michod | +400 | +400 | +400 |
| Gina Prince-Bythewood | +550 | +550 | +550 |
| Martin Campbell | +600 | +600 | +600 |
| Matthew Vaughn | +650 | +650 | +650 |
| Chad Stahelski | +700 | +700 | +700 |
| David Fincher | +800 | +800 | +800 |
| Greta Gerwig | +1000 | +1000 | +1000 |
| Chloe Zhao | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Christopher McQuarrie | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Denis Villeneuve | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Edward Berger | +1200 | +1200 | +1200 |
| Danny Boyle | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Jospeh Kosinski | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
| Sam Mendes | +1600 | +1600 | +1600 |
Nolan and Michaud favored
Christopher Nolan (+400) claimed his first Academy Award for Oppenheimer. While he has already directed two Batman movies, it’s hard to see the 54-year-old British filmmaker signing up to direct another franchise. He’s far too successful.
David Michod (+400) had his name floated for the project back in July 2024, but his resume isn’t nearly good enough to land a Bond flick.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson becomes the next #JamesBond after Daniel Craig in new fan art following reports about a good meeting with franchise producers. 🖤
What do you think of this casting choice? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/VYRIAXxxIf
— Screen Rant (@screenrant) January 7, 2023
Lucky Longshot
Edward Berger (+1200) won Best International Feature Film for All Quiet On The Western Front in 2023. The German director has been mentioned as a potential front runner for the project.
Best Bet
California-native Cary Fukunaga became the first American to direct a James Bond movie when he helmed No Time To Die. With the barrier now broken, Joseph Kosinski (+1600) could be the obvious choice after the runaway box office success of Top Gun: Maverick.
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