Cillian Murphy ‘in the running’ to play the next James Bond

Cillian Murphy is reportedly set to be the next actor to take on the iconic spy agent.

Last played by Daniel Craig, the Bond franchise are looking for the next 007 and the Peaky Blinder has reportedly caught their attention, per The Sun.

Murphy is nominated for an Oscar for his performance in Oppenheimer in the category of Best Actor. He also won several accolades in the award season including Sag Awards, BAFTA and Golden Globes.

“Cillian is the toast of Hollywood right now and this would be the ultimate role,” an insider told The Sun. “This is a way to elevate the Bond franchise with an actor who is at the very top of his game.”

According to the report, Bond producer Barbara Brocc­oli has been keeping a close eye on Murphy for the past year. Moreover, Clay Bunker, who starred opposite Irish actor in Oppenheimer, is also backing him as the next Bond.

“He would fare beautifully,” Bunker said. “It’s funny because Cillian is the nicest human but he has that dark side and there’s a darkness to Bond. We forget that sometimes Bond is like the character Fleming created — a pretty dark character.”

Work on the 26th movie featuring James Bond created by writer Ian Fleming is not expected to start until later next year at the earliest.