Next James Bond upheaval – frontrunner and Tom Hardy quashed by BBC star

Daniel Craig will no doubt be missed by James Bond fans, but the void he has left must be filled.

And, since his exit after No Time To Die, the ever-changing Bond odds have had some massive names in the running to replace him.

While the official new 007 announcement likely won’t come from Bond bosses for a year or so, the Bond odds continue to change, and this week there has been a massive upheaval within the frontrunners.

Previously, Aaron Taylor-Johnson was the favourite at Ladbrokes with 15/8 after he was rumoured to have had screen tests with Bond bosses behind the scenes – but he has just been overtaken. The former Marvel star now has a strong 2/1 on becoming the new-and-improved James Bond. But his lead has just been claimed by a BBC star.

James Norton, of Happy Valley fame, just overtook Taylor-Johnson in an upsetting change for the British star. He now has 7/4 on becoming the next tuxedo-clad hero.

READ MORE: Next James Bond ‘will be a person of colour’ after Daniel Craig exit

Norton, of course, reached massive fame earlier this year with his performance in the drama series, but does he have what it takes to become the new hero?

Ladbrokes’ Alex Apati said: “Punters are starting to lean towards James Norton once again in the race to replace Daniel Craig, and we’ve been forced to slash his odds as a result… so much so that he now heads the betting.”

Punters seem to agree, as well – but he has a lot of competition. Although he has breezed past Taylor-Johnson, he is still being threatened by Henry Cavill, one of the fan-favourite Bond hopefuls.

Cavill still has 5/2 on becoming the next superspy – however he may have already lost his chance. He previously auditioned to play James Bond back in 2005 before Casino Royale hit cinemas. He lost out to Daniel Craig after being told he was looking “too chubby”.

The Superman actor has expressed a desire to take on the role, however.

Cavill previously told Graham Norton: “If there were any windows and they wanted me to do that kind of role it would be great, and I would love to do it.”

Elsewhere in the betting, fan-favourite Tom Hardy sits in fifth place in the ever-changing Bond odds race.

The actor, who has a strong 7/1 on becoming the next 007 hero, has previously confirmed he would not talk about becoming Bond.

“If I talk about it, it goes away,” he explained, before suggesting that Christopher Nolan would be a great James Bond director.