This 'White Lotus' Actor Might Be the Frontrunner To Play James Bond

James Bond might be the most coveted franchise for an actor to star in now that the franchise seems to be revving up again. The last time moviegoers saw the British spy was in 2021 with Daniel Craig playing his final scenes as the beloved character in No Time to Die. 

There's been plenty of debate on the internet as to who should play the role — frontrunner Idris Elba has long bowed out of the conversation. Now, a White Lotus star from the second season is appearing at the top of the list. 

Coral, a chain of betting shops in the U.K. has noted that Theo James now has the "odds of playing the character 2-1." John Hill, a representative for Coral, told The Sun, "We have seen a strong wave of support for Theo James over the weekend which has forced us to slash the odds on The Monkey star replacing Daniel Craig."

Even though James doesn't star in third season of the HBO series, fans clamoring to see more of the actor who appeared in the buzz-worthy show. The 40-year-old star is the perfect age to step into the role and The Standard believes his "roguish, morally ambiguous characters" in The White Lotus and The Gentleman "make him an ideal candidate."

Still, James is going to need some convincing to tackle the role. He tried to squash the rumors in a 2024 interview with The Guardian. 

"Everyone’s interested in that because it’s a big part of British cultural identity, but that probably wouldn’t be me. I do think there are better people for that job," James said. "And, honestly, it would be terrifying: if you do that, there’s no going back. You’re opening Pandora’s box there. You have got to be willing to live a very different life and have a different life for your family. And that would be pretty tricky."

While James finds the rumors "flattering," he's looking for a role that isn't so identifiable — that means no 007 for him. 

Related: James Bond Amazon Takeover Could Mean Spinoff 007 TV Shows