Idris Elba and Tom Hardy tipped to replace Daniel Craig as 007 in new James Bond

As the release date of Daniel Craig's  much-awaited film 'No Time to Die' is  creeping  ever closer,  the speculation about who will replace him as 007  in the next movie is  on the rise.

Among other actors, Tom Hardy seems to be hot favourite for the role as his  name has been trending this weekend after unconfirmed reports emerged claiming that he will be the next actor to play James Bond.

Hardy - known for his roles in 'Venom and 'The Revenant' - may be a  good for the role, being an accomplished, versatile actor with a commanding screen presence. 

 The 43-year-old actor previously spoke about Bond rumours with a media outlet, saying: "If I mention it, it’s gone. You know, there’s a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you’re automatically out of the race. So I can’t possibly comment on that one."

On the other hand, it cannot be denied that previous bookies favourite Idris Elba would make an equally brilliant choice.

The 48-yer-old 'Luther' star has long been tipped to replace Daniel Craig, however he has attempted to quash the rumours, saying to Event: "Bond is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and for that reason, whoever ends up playing it, lives it. You’re THAT character, and known as that character for many, many years. I’m creating characters now that can still live alongside Idris. Not ones that take over me and solely define me."

There has been speculation about who will replace Daniel Craig as 007 ever since 2015, when he joked he would rather “slash his wrists” than do another Bond film.