Gary Oldman says next James Bond already been chosen

Gary Oldman says the next James Bond has already been decided and he's hoping it's his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden. 

During a recent interview with Canada's The Morning Show, the 68-year-old actor claimed the decision has quietly been made, even though it hasn't been publicly announced. 

"We're going to find out pretty soon, aren't we? Because they have picked him," Oldman said, adding that he has his fingers crossed for Lowden, 36.

Neither Amazon MGM Studios nor Lowden's team has commented on the claim. 

Lowden himself hasn't addressed the rumours, though his wife, actress Saoirse Ronan, recently said she'd love to play a Bond villain, expressing interest in bringing a "young female villain" to the franchise.

Amazon MGM Studios took over creative control of the Bond franchise from longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in February 2025. Since then, the studio has been searching for its next 007, with Dune director Denis Villeneuve set to lead the upcoming film.

Several actors have been floated as contenders, including Lowden, Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, Paul Mescal, and Harris Dickinson. However, sources told Page Six last month that relatively unknown actor Jack Barton, who had a small role in Poor Things, is currently seen as the frontrunner, though formal screen tests still need to happen.

Reports last year suggested Villeneuve wants a fresh, lesser-known British actor for the role—someone with a commanding, intense screen presence from the moment he appears.

Daniel Craig was the most recent actor to play Bond, stepping away from the franchise after 2021's No Time to Die. He followed a lineage of actors including Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan.