Jack Barton is shock favorite to be the next James Bond
Unknown British actor Jack Barton has emerged as the shock favorite to play the next James Bond, Page Six Hollywood reports. The Poor Things and Heartstopper performer sits atop the shortlist as Denis Villeneuve and casting director Nina Gold prepare early September screen tests with A-listers including Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson. The news matters because Amazon and MGM are still hunting Daniel Craig’s successor for Bond 26, and an unknown sitting ahead of household names would reshape the franchise’s next era. Follow more celebrity breaking news as casting heats up.
Key Takeaways
- Jack Barton is the reported insider favorite to become the next 007.
- Screen tests with Barton and five A-listers are set for early September.
- Denis Villeneuve and casting director Nina Gold are leading the search.
- Amazon has declined to comment on specific casting details.
- Former Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams has urged choosing a relative newcomer.
Who is Jack Barton and why is he suddenly in the Bond race?
According to an exclusive from Page Six Hollywood, Barton rose from a pack of UK unknowns after Villeneuve and Gold scoured Britain for fresh faces. Insiders called him “The One,” even before better-known stars sit for tests.
His credits remain modest: a tiny role as Fop 1 in Poor Things, prestige TV in Steven Knight’s SAS: Rogue Heroes, and Netflix’s Heartstopper. World of Reel notes he is 31 and was spotted by Gold during that unknowns search.
Page Six says his Wikipedia footprint is barebones, though it lists the Oxford School of Drama—also linked to Claire Foy and Jemma Powell. He is repped by Daniel Craig’s UK publicists, an eyebrow-raising industry detail amid the Bond chatter.
Which A-listers are set for James Bond screen tests?
Sources told Page Six that screen tests begin in early September. Alongside Barton, the shortlist reportedly includes Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson.
World of Reel, amplifying the Page Six report, lists the same six names and notes Mescal is currently shooting Sam Mendes’s Beatles films as Paul McCartney. Elordi has long been linked to Bond; Page Six previously flagged his Chanel ad as a soft audition vibe.
A separate Yahoo Entertainment roundup of casting rumors cited industry scooper Daniel Richtman saying final-round casting may be underway—without naming an actor—and recalled Richard Osman recently tipping Lowden as “strongly considered,” not locked.
Will Amazon pick a star or a total unknown for 007?
Debate continues over whether Bond should be a fresh face or a recognizable leading man. Retired longtime Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams told The Independent in June that the spy must remain “a total enigma,” arguing audiences should know as little as possible about whoever holds the license to kill.
World of Reel reports studio executives have said Amazon/MGM prefers a younger actor—ideally under 30—who can carry roughly five films, echoing Craig’s long run. Barton’s age sits slightly above that preference, which may add drama to the tests.
Amazon declined comment to Page Six and pointed to its May statement: the search is underway, specific casting details will not be discussed mid-process, and fans will hear more when the time is right. World of Reel adds that Villeneuve, Gold, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, and screenwriter Steven Knight share the casting effort, with an actor announcement expected before year’s end.