Actor Jack Barton has emerged as a candidate to play James Bond, with studio screen tests for the next 007 feature film scheduled to begin in early September.
The casting update comes five years after Daniel Craig ended his tenure in the role, leaving the identity of the next secret agent one of the film industry's biggest open questions.
James Bond is a fictional British secret service agent created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1953, who has since become the center of one of cinema's highest-grossing media franchises. Craig portrayed the character across five films, starting with Casino Royale in 2006 and concluding with No Time to Die in 2021.
Amazon, which holds co-control of the franchise, confirmed that the official search for the next actor began last May. The upcoming 26th installment will be directed by French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay written by British writer Steven Knight.
Shortlist and candidate pool
Barton is reported to be among the studio's preferred choices and will take part in the upcoming September screen tests. Although Barton currently holds a lower public profile than other contenders, casting lesser-known actors has historically been standard practice for the 007 franchise, as previous leads were rarely global movie stars prior to their selection.
The broader pool of actors under consideration includes Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Paul Mescal, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson, all of whom have circulated in casting rumors in recent months. Apart from Lowden, who is slightly older, all the contenders are in their 20s or 30s, matching the studio's stated preferred age range for the role.
Mescal gained international acclaim for his roles in Normal People and Gladiator II, while Elordi starred in Euphoria and Saltburn. Amazon MGM Studios acquired Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 2022, granting the company co-ownership of the Bond series alongside Eon Productions.
Production timeline and direction
Amazon has declined to comment on the ongoing casting speculation. However, with selection work active for several months, the shortlist is expected to shrink following the September auditions, raising the likelihood of an official casting announcement before the end of 2026.
Villeneuve, known for directing Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, and the Dune trilogy, has brought heightened industry expectation to the project. The studio has not yet announced an official release date for the movie.
