A Pub Slip Is Fueling Whispers That Josh O’Connor Has Already Landed James Bond, but Has He?

The hunt for the next James Bond has become one of Hollywood’s longest-running guessing games. Since Daniel Craig stepped away from the role, rumors have swirled around nearly every young British actor with a decent tuxedo. Each new report seems to push a different name to the top of the list.

The latest twist comes from an unlikely setting: a London pub. It involves a theater cast party, a few glasses of lager and a source who claims to have heard more than he expected.

Amazon MGM Studios took over creative control of the Bond franchise in early 2025, and the studio has since lined up Denis Villeneuve to direct and Steven Knight to write. The studio has brought on renowned casting director Nina Gold, and Amazon MGM has confirmed the casting search is under way and said it doesn’t plan to comment on specific details during the process. Bond 26 is slated to arrive in 2028, though there is no official release date.

Reports have suggested the studio is looking for a fresh face, a relatively unknown British actor, and that shooting is expected to start in 2027. Names that have been mentioned along the way include Callum Turner, Jack Lowden, Jacob Elordi and Josh O’Connor.

According to a new report from The Sun, O’Connor may have already been chosen. A source told the outlet they ran into one of O’Connor’s castmates from the play ‘Golden Boy’ at The French House in Soho, and that the castmate, after a few glasses of lager, insisted that O’Connor was the next Bond. The source said they pushed back and called it pure speculation, but the castmate would not budge.

The castmate also reportedly claimed that O’Connor had confided in the cast about getting the role during celebratory drinks after the play finished its run on Halloween. O’Connor, 36, who is best known for playing the young King Charles III in ‘The Crown,’ recently wrapped a 60-show run in ‘Golden Boy’ at the Almeida Theatre in London. The report also suggested he had successfully negotiated the final stages of the auditions with Amazon MGM Studios.

Josh O’Connor could be the next James Bond, according to a new report from @TheSun. The actor allegedly confirmed he had landed the role to his ‘Golden Boy’ castmates, with one of them later revealing the news during a night out in London. https://t.co/EQ2CtOuNqq

— Kalshi Film (@Kalshi_Film) November 5, 2026

The actor himself has been tight-lipped. At a recent screening of the National Theatre production of ‘Golden Boy,’ he downplayed the idea and said he doubted it, though he added that people will see. He also said he has something planned in January and is taking some time out in 2027.

In an interview with the BBC, O’Connor called it a pinch-me moment to be mentioned for the part and said he was honored. He also said that young male actors get Bond talk the moment they put on a suit, which reads like a polite attempt to keep the speculation in check.

Even if the report is accurate, the race has looked crowded. Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and a third actor, who has not been named, reportedly took part in final auditions last month. Bookmaker Ladbrokes listed Lowden as the clear front-runner, with O’Connor sitting further back at 8/1.

That makes the new claim all the more surprising, since it cuts against what the betting market has been signaling in recent weeks. If the castmate’s version is right, it would mean the studio had quietly settled on an actor who was not even the favorite in the betting.

A tabloid report built on a second-hand pub conversation is not the same as an official announcement, and the source’s own account suggests it could be nothing more than a lager-fueled boast. There is no confirmation from Amazon MGM, and the studio has been careful to say it will share news when the time is right.

For now, the report mostly shows how intense the appetite for Bond news has become. Until the studio steps forward, every night out, interview and betting shift will keep fueling the speculation.

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