Why Cillian Murphy Is Now Being Mentioned as the Next James Bond
The next James Bond film, known as Bond 25, is slated to begin shooting next month for a theatrical release next year. It will likely be Daniel Craig's final turn as 007, which, of course, has people speculating over his replacement. In the U.K., there are professional oddsmakers-the kind who set the odds for sporting events-that are keeping track of who's in the running for Bond, because people are actively placing bets. This week, the oddsmakers said Cillian Murphy's chances of taking on the role improved dramatically.
Murphy is the star of Peaky Blinders, a show that airs on Netflix about U.K. gangsters in the 1920s. He's also had parts in The Dark Knight, Inception, and Dunkirk (all three of which Christopher Nolan directed). If he is chosen as the next Bond, Murphy would be the second actor from Ireland to play the part. (Pierce Brosnan was also born in Ireland.)
According to oddsmakers, Tom Hiddleston and Richard Madden, who played Robb Stark in Game of Thrones and now stars in the TV show Bodyguard, are the top two contenders for Bond. But a representative from the betting site Coral told the U.K.'s Daily Mirror that Murphy's odds are now 100/30. Hiddleston's are 6/4; Madden's are 3/1.
"Everybody is getting excited about the new series of Peaky Blinders and it seems as though [gamblers] are no different," Coral's Harry Aitkenhead told the Mirror. "We've been inundated with bets lately on Murphy landing the role as the next James Bond and he's certainly a leading candidate now."
Okay, so here comes the big ol' grain of salt: None of this comes from Eon Productions, the company that makes the Bond films. So it's all pure speculation, based on the volume of wagers betting companies have received.
Oddsmakers also have Idris Elba in the running, though his odds have fallen. Recently, Elba told a reporter why he wouldn't want to play Bond. "Bond is one of the biggest franchises in the world, and for that reason, whoever ends up playing it, lives it," he told the journalist Craig McLean. "You’re THAT character, and known as that character for many, many years. I’m creating characters now that can still live alongside Idris. Not ones that take over me and solely define me."
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