Jack Lowden’s Absence From the ‘Slow Horses’ Season 8 Announcement Is Fueling Major James Bond Rumors

The search for the next James Bond has turned into one of the most closely watched casting mysteries in Hollywood, with speculation swirling ever since Daniel Craig stepped away from the role after 2021’s ‘No Time to Die.’ Names have come and gone from the rumor mill for years, but one actor has recently pulled ahead of the pack in a way that’s impossible to ignore.

That actor is Jack Lowden, the Scottish star best known for playing River Cartwright on Apple TV’s ‘Slow Horses.‘ Lowden has been quietly building buzz around the 007 role for weeks, fueled largely by his own castmates dropping increasingly pointed hints in interviews.

Now a new detail has reignited the speculation even further. Apple recently confirmed that ‘Slow Horses’ will return for an eighth season, but Lowden was notably absent from the official announcement, which mentioned only Gary Oldman’s Jackson Lamb and Kristin Scott Thomas’s Diana Taverner by name.

The eighth season, adapted from Mick Herron’s novel ‘Clown Town,’ will center on an explosive confrontation between Lamb and Taverner after a botched blackmail attempt puts Taverner on the offensive, forcing Lamb to unravel one of MI5’s darkest secrets. The show’s existing ensemble, including Saskia Reeves, Christopher Cho, Rosalind Eleazar, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Tom Brooke, and Jonathan Pryce, rounds out the returning cast list.

Lowden’s name simply wasn’t part of that lineup in the press materials, and for a show that’s leaned heavily on his character across six seasons, that omission has been enough to send fans and outlets spinning fresh theories about whether he’s exiting the series entirely to pick up a different kind of spy role.

Much of the current frenzy traces back to comments Oldman made to Canada’s Global News, where he seemed to suggest a Bond decision had already been made. “It’s been rumored that he’s on the shortlist,” Oldman said of Lowden. “We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Oldman later walked back the implication that he had genuine insider knowledge, clarifying to Deadline that his comments had been misconstrued and spun into more suggestive headlines than he intended. Still, the damage, or rather the excitement, was already done, and castmate James Callis added more fuel by posting a photo of Lowden on Instagram captioned “My word is my bond.”

First trailer for ‘SLOW HORSES’ Season 6.

Releasing September 16 on Apple TV. pic.twitter.com/lktVB8KP8v

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) August 18, 2026

Adam Randall, who directed the current season of ‘Slow Horses,’ offered his own take on Lowden’s potential as Bond without confirming any casting news. He told The Hollywood Reporter that after watching six seasons of the show, Lowden’s ability to weave comedy and humor into the most serious moments would make him “pretty perfect” for the role, comparing that quality to Roger Moore’s lighter touch on the character rather than the tougher styles of Sean Connery or Daniel Craig.

Lowden isn’t the only name still in contention, though. Other actors reportedly on the shortlist include Callum Turner, Jack O’Connell, Jacob Elordi, Tom Francis, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Paul Mescal, and Jack Barton, with the new film coming from director Denis Villeneuve, whose involvement alone has raised expectations for something distinctive.

‘Slow Horses’ Season 6 premiered on September 16, with production on Season 7 already underway, meaning any transition away from the show wouldn’t necessarily happen overnight even if Lowden does land the Bond role. For now, nothing has been officially confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios about who will next step into 007’s shoes, leaving fans to keep parsing every cast interview and press release for clues.

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