Peaky Blinders and Challengers star Josh O'Connor could have his entire life changed in 2025. Although Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been the name most often mentioned as a hypothetical new James Bond actor, Seth Abramovitch at The Hollywood Reporter suggests that EON producers could cast O'Connor as the next Bond. But is this an educated guess or a wild shot in the dark?
The notion that O'Connor could become the next James Bond comes from THR's 2025 predictions article, which, to be clear, is not exactly news about the future of the entertainment industry but merely contains educated guesses about what the next year in pop culture might hold. This isn't to say that THR is lying about Josh O'Connor getting tapped to play Bond in the as-yet-unannounced 26th official 007 movie. It's just that this isn't a scoop. It's a prediction.
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But does this prediction seem viable? Would James Bond's boss M, approve of this intelligence report? The answer is a solid maybe. At 34, O'Connor is in the right age range to play a newly rebooted James Bond, and would be in a good position to age into the role if he stayed on for several movies. (George Lazenby is the only Bond to just do one movie.) O'Connor is also an acclaimed actor who has proven he can do a wide variety of roles; from playing Princess Charles in The Crown to Patrick Zweig in everyone's favorite 2024 arthouse threesome movie, Challengers. O'Connor has also played a "James" before, in the popular historical crime series Peaky Blinders.
In most of Ian Fleming's original, early Bond novels, James Bond hovers around the age of 37, fearing the day he'll turn 45, when he'll be forced into mandatory retirement from the Secret Service. So, if O'Connor is cast as Bond in 2025, and the new movie doesn't come out until 2027, then he'll be just about the perfect age for a new Bond, and a new age.
If he does get the part, hardcore Bond people and casual fans alike will almost certainly freak out. Whenever a new Bond is cast, and it's not who anyone expected, you can plan for the world to get very shaken and stirred.
