The prediction markets have revealed the latest favourite to be the next James Bond – and if they’re correct, it looks as though we could be getting our first Scottish 007 since Sir Sean Connery.
While actors from the States and Australia are among those who have been touted as contenders, Jack Lowden is currently the favourite to land the role, according to two prominent prediction markets.
Kalshi currently has the Slow Horses star’s chances of landing the role at 52 per cent, with his closest contender, Masters of the Air actor Callum Turner, at 24 per cent.
It’s a similar story on Polymarket, which has Lowden’s chances at 35 per cent and Turner at per cent.
Prediction market percentages are largely dictated by the number of bets being placed, so the figures suggest punters have been putting their money on Lowden.
The latest listings on both sites also reveal a rise in fans (11 per cent) backing Heartstopper actor Jack Barton, who was linked to the role for the first time in August.
Interestingly, Polymarket also claims there is a 22 per cent chance of bosses at Amazon MGM Studios failing to name the next Bond by the end of the year, while Wuthering Heights actor Jacob Elordi – who was previously thought to be a frontrunner – has dropped right down in the rankings to 1 per cent.
This puts him behind the likes of Sunset Boulevard actor Tom Francis (4 per cent) and Games of Thrones’ Richard Madden (3 per cent).
Lowden, who is best known for playing River Cartwright in Slow Horses, was last month touted by The Rest Is Entertainment host Richard Osman as “definitely being strongly considered”.
“I think Jack Lowden would be an incredible Bond,” he said on the podcast. “He’s got real Daniel Craig energy.”
He also has the backing of his Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman, who recently claimed producers have already made their decision – adding that his “fingers are crossed” for one name to emerge.
The 68-year-old Harry Potter star said during an appearance on Canadian television that he believed an announcement was coming “soon” and that the franchise bosses had “made their choice” already.
Steven Knight, who is writing the new film, seemed to back Oldman’s claim as he said the script was proving easier to pen now he knew who was playing Bond.
If Lowden does land the role, he’ll be the first Scottish Bond since Sir Sean Connery originated the role in 1962. The Edinburgh-born actor played the MI6 agent in seven films, signing off in 1983’s Never Say Never Again.
Speaking to The Independent back in June, casting director Debbie McWilliams, who helped select previous Bond actors including Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, said that “it is absolutely essential that [Bond] retains a total enigma”.
“I don’t want to see [Elordi, Turner, et al] as Bond because we now know so much about them,” she added. “We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that’s what spies are.”
Read MoreSlow Horses season 6 – Very predictable but with a dashing Bond hopeful at its heart
Gary Oldman clarifies James Bond comments after Jack Lowden casting speculation
