Speculation continues to swirl around who will portray the British super-spy James Bond in the next film. The latest name rumored to be on the shortlist is Jack Lowden. The 36-year-old is best known in the gaming community for his portrayal of T.E. Lawrence, famously known as "Lawrence of Arabia," in Battlefield 1.
TV presenter Richard Osman revealed on his podcast The Rest Is Entertainment that he heard from "someone" that Lowden is being considered for the role of James Bond. He stated that his source was very certain that Lowden is "indeed in contention," although there has been no official confirmation yet.
To date, Lowden's only video game appearance is in Battlefield 1. In television, he gained attention for his role as River in Slow Horses and will also portray Mr. Darcy in Netflix's upcoming Pride and Prejudice series. Additionally, Lowden appeared as Forodwaith Sauron in an episode of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. In film, he starred in Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk and voiced Gunnar in this year's Rogue Trooper movie.
This May, Amazon MGM Studios, the production company behind the Bond films, announced that they had begun searching for the next actor to play James Bond, but stated they would not comment on the casting process.
Lowden is from Scotland. If he is ultimately confirmed to play Bond, he will become the second Scottish actor to portray James Bond, following Sean Connery. In Ian Fleming's original novels, James Bond himself was also depicted as Scottish.
Other actors currently rumored to be in contention for the role of James Bond include Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Jacob Elordi, Theo James, Tom Francis, and Josh O'Connor.
Fans have been waiting a long time for the next 007 movie. The latest entry in the series, No Time to Die, was released in 2021. In fact, the film was originally expected to arrive earlier, but it was delayed three times due to factors such as the pandemic.
Daniel Craig starred in five consecutive 007 films, concluding his tenure as Bond with No Time to Die. Subsequently, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the rights to the franchise at a high cost, regaining creative control from long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
The next 007 film will be directed by Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve. He is best known for the Dune series and has also directed films such as Prisoners, Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, and Arrival.
