Next James Bond – Rising star’s odds cut by 75 per cent and now equals Tom Hardy

Since Daniel Craig announced that No Time To Die would be his final James Bond movie, there’s been plenty of fan-casting buzz around A-listers.

The likes of Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy are often brought up and have been favourites in the next 007 odds over the last few years.

But let’s not forget that Craig wasn’t exactly a household name but “that guy from Layer Cake” when cast in Casino Royale 18 years ago.

So it’s certainly worth keeping an eye out for rising stars and it turns out that one of them has just had his odds of being the next Bond cut by 75 per cent in the last 24 hours.

In fact, this actor is now equal to Hardy in his chances and threatens the leads of the three favourites in front of him.

The man in question is Paapa Essiedu, who featured in Murder on the Orient Express and A24’s Men.

Most recently the Emmy and BAFTA-nominee starred in the latest season of Black Mirror, in the final episode Demon 79.

The 33-year-old’s odds of being the first black Bond have been sliced from 20-1 to 5-1 in the last day.

Coral’s John Hill said: “Black Mirror star Paapa Essiedu is the big mover in our next James Bond betting. He has gone from an outsider for the role to one of the leading candidates, according to our odds.”

Ahead of the rising star in the bookies’ race, which should be taken with a pinch of salt, are James Norton on 4-1, Henry Cavill on 3-1 and Aaron Taylor-Johnson on 7-4.

Behind Essiedu and Hardy on 5-1 are Regé-Jean Page on 6-1, Jack Lowden on 12-1, both Richard Madden and Callum Turner on 14-1, Aidan Turner on 16-1 and Sope Dirisu on 20-1.