Published Aug 26, 2026, 11:44 AM EDT
Ryan Northrup is a Senior Staff Writer on ScreenRant's Movie & TV News team, where he has authored nearly 5,000 articles, including features and reviews. A graduate of McMaster University, Ryan began his career in public relations before attending Vancouver Film School. There, he built lasting industry connections and optioned a feature film screenplay.
A new casting report for James Bond 26 claims a surprising actor is in the mix.
It's now been five years since Daniel Craig bid farewell to Bond with No Time To Die, and reports and rumors have swirled ever since regarding who may replace him. Bond 26 will be directed by Denis Villeneuve with a script by Steven Knight, and Amazon confirmed that the search for the new 007 got underway back in May.
Now, Page Six reports that screen tests for the next 007 are set to get underway in early September, with a relative unknown reportedly already a top choice. Jack Barton, best known for Poor Things (2023) and SAS: Rogue Heroes, is said to be a favorite. Barton is among some familiar names who will apparently be testing for Bond, including Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Paul Mescal, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson.
Lowden, Turner, Mescal, Elordi, and Dickinson have all been mentioned in reports over the last few months, making it no surprise that they may be among those set to test for the role. Save for Lowden, who is 36, all are in their late 20s or early 30s, the age range which has been reported to be a desirable one for the next 007.
Barton, 31, is the least known of the six actors mentioned in the report. His role in Poor Things as Fop 1 was a small one. He's also appeared in seven episodes of SAS: Rogue Heroes as John Tonkin and five episodes of Heartstopper as David Nelson.
Though Barton may not have the credits that some of his reported competitors do, his casting wouldn't necessarily be unusual. Traditionally, new Bond actors haven't been established major movie stars when they've been cast as 007. Craig, for example, wasn't a big name when he got the role, and was probably previously best known for starring in Layer Cake (2004).
Unsurprisingly, Amazon hasn't commented on the new casting report. With the company having confirmed that the casting process got underway in May, it would make sense that the list has been whittled down at this point. If screen tests do happen early next month, it's seems likely that the new Bond will be announced before the year is out.
More to come...
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