James Bond frontrunner Jack Lowden has finally responded to rumours that he is about to become the next 007, but fans hoping for a definitive answer may be disappointed. The Scottish actor, 36, has emerged as the bookies' favourite to replace Daniel Craig, with speculation intensifying after his Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman appeared to suggest the role had already been cast.
Speaking to British GQ, Lowden was asked about the frenzy surrounding Oldman's apparent endorsement. His response suggested he might rather face an MI6 interrogation than comment on the speculation.
Lowden's Response to the Rumours
'Oh, Christ…' he responded, his expression reportedly giving way to a carefully unreadable smile. 'On this… It's all very flattering. It's nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I'm just not really going to add to the noise,' he said.
Lowden continued: 'It's very nice, and Gary's a sweetheart – it's particularly lovely, coming from someone like him. But I don't really listen to it.' He also offered a less glamorous explanation for why he might be in contention for the role: 'As a young male actor, generally, the minute you're not playing a zany artist type, the minute you're in a suit, people fling it at you.'
Oldman's Endorsement and Ronan's Take
Oldman sparked a fresh wave of speculation when he appeared to suggest Bond producers had already made their decision. 'We're going to find out pretty soon, aren't we? Because they have picked him,' Oldman told Canada's Global. 'They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.'
Lowden's wife, Oscar-nominated actress Saoirse Ronan, has also been fielding questions about her husband's potential new career. Asked about the speculation, she joked that Oldman 'thinks he's James Bond, which is its own thing'. She insisted the couple had more mundane concerns: 'We're kind of getting on with our life, to be honest. We have plenty of other things to be dealing with. The dog needs to be walked, the dinner needs to be made — we're most focused on that.'
Odds and the Casting Race
According to Ladbrokes' latest odds, Lowden is now the clear frontrunner at 4/6, followed by Callum Turner at 11/4. Challengers actor Josh O'Connor is further behind at 8/1, while Robert Pattinson has made a surprise appearance in the top 5 and is priced at 12/1, with the rest of the field available at 20/1 or longer.
The race has reportedly entered its final stages, with Lowden, Turner and O'Connor among the actors linked to a final round of screen tests at London's Bray Studios. A fourth contender has reportedly also been involved, although their identity remains a mystery.
The next film will be directed by Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, with Amazon MGM Studios overseeing the franchise following Craig's departure in 2021's No Time To Die. Responding to reports about the casting process, the studio previously told The Hollywood Reporter: 'The search for the next James Bond is underway. While we don't plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we're excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right.'
Until then, Lowden's carefully measured response leaves fans exactly where they started: with plenty of clues but no definitive answers.
