Has the Next James Bond Been Found? Jack Lowden Reportedly a Serious Contender for 007

We may finally have a new name to put at the top of the James Bond casting board, and it’s a pretty damn good one. Jack Lowden, the Scottish actor currently navigating the wonderfully dysfunctional world of MI5 in Slow Horses, is reportedly being strongly considered to become the next 007.

The information comes from Richard Osman, who dropped the interesting bit of Bond intel during a recent episode of The Rest Is Entertainment podcast. Osman apparently heard from someone that Lowden is the guy, although he was careful to make it clear that we shouldn’t start ordering the celebratory martinis just yet.

“Someone told me for definite who the new Bond is the other day, but I mean that’s happened before,” Osman shared. He then revealed exactly which actor he’d heard was in the running: “The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden.”

Before the internet turns that into an official casting announcement, Osman stressed that Lowden hasn’t landed the role as far as he knows.

“It is definitely not a ‘he’s definitely got it’ thing,” he explained, adding, “He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he’d be amazing.”

Lowden certainly makes a compelling candidate for the next James Bond. He’s best known for playing MI5 agent River Cartwright in Apple TV’s Slow Horses, where he’s already spent several seasons dealing with espionage, assassins, government conspiracies, and Gary Oldman insulting everyone within earshot. Moving from River Cartwright to 007 wouldn’t exactly be the strangest career transition.

The actor has also built up an impressive filmography outside the spy genre. He appeared in Dunkirk, Mary Queen of Scots, and Ella McCay, and later this year he’ll take on another iconic British character when he plays Mr. Darcy in Netflix’s upcoming adaptation of Pride & Prejudice.

Osman also thinks Lowden is at “a good age” to take over the franchise, particularly if the plan is for the next Bond actor to stick around for several movies. “I think Jack Lowden would be an incredible Bond. He’s got real Daniel Craig energy.”

Lowden has the ability to play charming without becoming overly polished, and there’s an intensity to his performances that could work incredibly well for Bond. He can also handle dry humor, something Slow Horses has given him plenty of opportunities to demonstrate.

Of course, Lowden isn’t the only actor whose name has been thrown into the 007 conversation. During the podcast, Osman and Marina Hyde also talked about longtime fan favorites Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy.

Both actors have been attached to Bond speculation for years, although the longer the search continues, the more questions there are about whether either fits the age range the producers have in mind.

Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner have also emerged as potential James Bond candidates in recent months, giving the producers several very different directions they could take the character.

There’s another interesting connection working in Lowden’s favor. Casting director Nina Gold is reportedly overseeing the hunt for Daniel Craig’s successor, and she previously worked on Slow Horses, which means she’s already very familiar with what Lowden can do.

Meanwhile, the next Bond movie is being directed by Denis Villeneuve, the filmmaker behind the Dune movies. Putting Villeneuve in charge of James Bond already makes this next era of the franchise incredibly exciting, and pairing him with an actor such as Lowden could give us a very different take on 007.

Nothing regarding Lowden has been officially announced, so for now he remains one of several rumored contenders rather than our confirmed new James Bond. Still, Osman’s comments make his name considerably more interesting than another random bit of internet casting speculation.

And if Jack Lowden really does end up getting the keys to the Aston Martin, I’m into it. He has the acting chops, the spy experience, the right age, and enough edge to make Bond his own without simply trying to recreate what Craig did.

Would you like to see Jack Lowden take over as the next James Bond?