‘Handsome’ Jacob Elordi now a hot favourite to play James Bond after Oscars

Jacob Elordi has leapt into second spot for the favourites to play James Bond (Picture: Getty/Shutterstock/Metro) Jacob Elordi’s Academy Award nomination has shaken and stirred up the list of favourites to step into James Bond’s tux, after Daniel Craig bowed out of the role.

Amazon Prime Video has started to assemble its Bond dream team, with many-times Oscar nominated Denis Villeneuve on board to direct the tech giant’s first film in the beloved franchise. 

But the 007 gig remains uncast, with speculation rife over which of Hollywood’s hot young leading men might nab it. 

The towering Aussie, 28, has now shot up the bookmaker’s odds, Metro has learned, after he received his first Oscar nomination for his transformational performance as The Creature in Guillermo del Toro’s adaptation of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Elordi now sits in the second-favourite spot, at 7/2 to become the second Australian actor after George Lazenby was picked for the first (and last) time to play Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Lazenby is not only the only actor to play Bond once, but the only 007 to get married. (Spoiler alert: It didn’t end well.)

Elordi would be the second Aussie actor in the Bond role (Picture: John Salangsang/Shutterstock)

The Frankenstein star was nominated for his role as The Creature (Picture: Netflix/AP) Paddy Power told Metro of Elordi’s chances as the super-spy: ‘Tall, handsome and mysterious. All things I’ve never been described as… but all things that fit the bill for a James Bond actor. 

‘Jacob Elordi ticks plenty of the boxes, hence why he’s our second favourite to get the job.

‘After George Lazenby’s lone outing in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service way back in 1969, it’s probably well overdue for another Australian to play Bond. If he gets the bod, hopefully he’ll last more than one movie, too!’

Callum Turner remains the favourite for the spot, with odds of 5/6 – even if we have deemed him too humdrum a pick for this new modern era of Bond. 

Callum Turner is still the Bond favourite according to bookies (Picture: Gisela Schober/Getty Images)

Perhaps Elordi could be the more compelling choice. He’s always been far more interested in taking on strange roles – Saltburn, Euphoria, Wuthering Heights – than the classic leading man parts. 

He could make the spy at the centre of this multimillion-dollar behemoth all the more intriguing.

There are unsubstantiated rumours that a meeting might have taken place between Elordi and Villeneuve, but they have yet to work together. 

What we do know is that Elordi’s Oscar nod will have started a new chapter in his career and has clearly put his name in the mix for Bond.

The excitement over the new era of Bond was heightened when Amazon MGM Studios announced earlier this year that it had gained full creative control of the franchise, with long-serving producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson also stepping down.

While Amazon and Villeneuve have remained tight-lipped on their casting plans, Deadline has previously reported the director is searching for three things when choosing the next star of the Bond franchise – a man, a Brit, and one who is unknown.

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