Next James Bond: Tom Hardy slips further behind as Netflix warrior clear favourite for 007

Naomi Harris says Tom Hardy is too established for James Bond

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Daniel Craig will forever be remembered as one of the most iconic James Bond actors of all time – but all good things must come to an end. No Time To Die made sure of that by killing off his version of 007, swinging the door open for a brand new actor to take the reins of the iconic hero.

The official announcement of the next James Bond actor will likely come within the next 12 months. But until then, Tom Hardy has been a favourite with fans – and in the Bond odds.

But there’s some bad news for the Venom star this week.

Hardy has become a staple in British cinema. Not only has he been a blockbuster success with films including Venom and Inception, but he has also explored deeper, character-driven pictures such as Legend and Capone.

Because of this, the 44-year-old would be a perfect fit to play the international spy. But he has previously revealed he would not speak openly about the role.

Hardy said he was worried about talking about becoming James Bond in recent years. He explained: “You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. So I can’t possibly comment on that one! If I mention it, it’s gone.”

Now, his odds have been pushed back a little further. Ladbrokes have given the star 6/1 on becoming 007.

And he has some big competition as a Netflix star takes the lead.

Henry Cavill has become the frontrunner in the ever-changing Bond odds. The British star has been longing to join the ranks of Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan for years, and now could be his chance.

The 39-year-old has made a name for himself playing Geralt of Rivia in the Netflix fantasy show The Witcher in recent years. The franchise is based on the book series of the same name, penned by Andrzej Sapkowski.

Before that, Cavill took on the role of Superman in Zack Snyder’s trilogy – Man of Steel, Batman V Superman and Justice League.

So then, he certainly has the acting chops and the star power to take on the role of Bond, James Bond next.

And his odds are now better than ever.

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Cavill recently had his odds slashed by Ladbrokes. He has now been given some staggering 5/2 odds on becoming 007.

Alex Apati of Ladbrokes said: “We’ve seen serious interest in Henry Cavill over the last few weeks, so much so that he’s continuing to pull away as the clear frontrunner in the race to replace Daniel Craig as 007.”

And it would be a long time coming for Cavill, who auditioned to become Bond back in 2005. But he lost out to a little-known actor named Daniel Craig.

Cavill got quite far in the audition process, actually. He was almost cast in Casino Royale opposite Mads Mikkelsen’s devilish foe, Le Chiffre. But things went south for him because of his body image.

Cavill revealed last year that he was denied a spot in Casino Royale because he was “too fat”. According to the director, anyway.

He said that the star was looking a “little chubby”. Cavill admitted he didn’t know how to “train or diet” to keep his body in perfect condition.

And the rest is history. The star lost the role and Craig claimed it.

This time around, though, he might have a better chance. But he isn’t alone in the race.

Cavill leads the Bond odds at the moment, but he is being followed closely by another Netflix star: Regé-Jean Page.

The Bridgerton hunk has also been a favourite in the betting for some time. And he is another actor whose odds continue to improve.

The latest odds from Ladbrokes award him an impressive 7/2. These put him in second place in the ongoing odds.

But, because he is such a relative newcomer to Hollywood, he may not be considered by the Bond bosses just yet.

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