Throughout the history of the James Bondfranchise, 007 has been consistently played by an actor in his 30s or 40s. In fact, the majority of Bond actors were in their 40s even when they first started playing the iconic spy.
However, if the latest betting odds are to be believed, it sounds like the next Bond could be much younger.
Back in April, young British actor Louis Partridge was reported to be a real contender to be cast as the next Bond. Now, a few months later, speculation is growing, and he is now among the betting favorites to land the role.
The Next James Bond?
Partridge is a former child actor who rose to fame for his role in the first Enola Holmes film alongside Millie Bobby Brown. He has since notably appeared in the comedy spy film Argylle and the historical drama series The House of Guinness.
Back in April, Variety reported a rumor that Partridge was amongst those “in contention” to play 007 in the next Bond film.
“Speculation has now reached Variety that he’s in contention for the job (and beyond simply being put on a bookmaker’s list),” the outlet reported at the time.
This week, Variety had the chance to catch up with Partridge a bit, asking him if he’d ever pictured himself being in the conversation to play 007.
“No, no. Not yet at least. But that’s something to keep in mind,” he replied.
Partridge, who just turned 23 years old this month, would be by far the youngest actor ever to play Bond and is drastically younger than the most iconic iterations of 007.
For reference, Sean Connery was 32 years old when he first began playing Bond, with Daniel Craig at 38, Pierce Brosnan at 42, and Roger Moore at 45.
A Betting Favorite
At this point, Partridge’s potential future as James Bond is nothing but a rumor. However, the betting markets seem to indicate that he is a real frontrunner.
Until Monday, Partridge wasn’t even on the betting board on William Hill’s odds for the next James Bond actor. Now, however, he suddenly has the second-best odds of the entire group at 3/1, behind only Callum Turner.
“Louis Partridge has really shaken things up in our next James Bond market,” William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said. “He wasn’t in the betting at all in our previous update, and now he’s gone straight in as second favourite at 3/1, which is a remarkable entrance.”
“The Bond market is always quick to react to developments and speculation around the role, and Partridge’s immediate position behind Callum Turner at even-money suggests punters believe he’s got a genuine chance,” Phelps added.
“It’s certainly added another fascinating twist to what is already one of our most popular specials markets.”
Obviously, we’ve got a long way to go before a new Bond is officially named. But Partridge is suddenly a betting favorite.
This story was originally published by Men’s Journal on Jun 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men’s Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.