Saoirse Ronan eyes Bond villain role opposite Jack Lowden
Saoirse Ronan told Empire she is "dead serious" about playing a Bond villain in the next 007 film while her husband, Jack Lowden, leads bookmakers' odds to replace Daniel Craig. If both are cast, the Irish actress and Scottish actor—married since 2024—would make history as the franchise's first husband-and-wife lead pairing.
The next James Bond instalment could deliver more than a new 007. According to LBC, Ronan has publicly pitched herself for a female antagonist role at the same moment Lowden has surged as a frontrunner for the spy himself. For a franchise built on glamour, exotic locales, and cinematic luxury real estate backdrops, the casting chatter adds a fresh layer of star power.
Key Takeaways
- Saoirse Ronan told Empire she is "dead serious" about playing a young female Bond villain.
- Jack Lowden, 36, recently overtook Callum Turner as bookmakers' favourite to succeed Daniel Craig.
- The couple married in 2024 and welcomed their first child last year.
- Dual casting would mark the first husband-and-wife pairing in Bond history, per LBC.
- Producer Amy Pascal suggested the next 007 could be named by the end of 2026.
Why does Saoirse Ronan want a Bond villain role?
The four-time Oscar nominee, 32, told Empire: "I want to go dark." She added: "I said that I wanted to be a Bond villain, and I'm dead serious."
Ronan said a young female villain would be "really interesting," especially for women who could "take all that pent-up anger and direct it somewhere." She has voiced interest before—in 2024 she called Bond villains "very interesting"—but these are her first public remarks since Lowden emerged as a Bond contender.
Known for lead roles in Lady Bird, Little Women, and Mary Queen of Scots, Ronan is now seeking a darker antagonist turn in the Amazon MGM Studios era of the franchise.
How close is Jack Lowden to landing James Bond?
Lowden has overtaken Callum Turner as the bookies' favourite, LBC reports. Other names in the mix include Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and Harris Dickinson.
Casting for the first Bond film under Amazon's MGM stewardship began in May 2026. Lowden would follow Daniel Craig's tenure—widely regarded as a hard act to follow.
Producer Amy Pascal recently said the next Bond must be "stirring and exciting and different," and hinted an announcement could arrive by "the end of the year."
Could Ronan and Lowden make Bond casting history?
If Ronan lands the villain and Lowden secures 007, they would become the first married couple cast opposite each other in a James Bond film, according to LBC.
The pair wed in 2024 after years in the spotlight as one of film's most talked-about couples. Their potential shared billing would fuse personal chemistry with the high-stakes spectacle Bond audiences expect—from cliffside lairs to opulent set-piece locations that have long defined the series' luxury aesthetic.
Amazon has not confirmed any casting. For now, Ronan's villain pitch and Lowden's odds lead remain the story Bond fans are watching closely.