Paul Mescal new favourite to be next James Bond after backing from All of Us Strangers co-star Andrew Scott

Paul Mescal has become one of the frontrunners to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.

Craig, 55, bowed out of the role in 2021’s No Time To Die, having fronted five films as the spy with a license to kill.

A number of big names have been floated around as to who could replace Craig such Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, Tom Hardy, Idris Elba and Aaron Taylor-Johnson.Now, BettingSite.co.uk is offering odds of five to one for Irish actor Mescal, 27, to step into the tuxedo left vacant by Craig.

Somebody who wholeheartedly agrees is Sherlock and Fleabag actor Andrew Scott, who stars with Mescal in upcoming fantasy-romance, All of Us Strangers.

Speaking at a screening of the Andrew Haigh-directed film in London recently, Scott told the crowd: “He’d probably be a great James Bond. I want to see him in Gladiator first.”Drawn himself on whether he would like the chance to play Bond, Mescal, who is currently shooting Ridley Scott’s Gladiator sequel, previously told Digital Spy in 2020: “Would I play Bond? Yeah? I don’t know. If it ever came my way, we’d discuss it.”

While producer Barbara Broccoli recently said that the search for the next Bond has “not even begun” and Debbie McWilliams, who has worked on the popular series of movies since 1981, revealed that younger actors had originally auditioned for the part but that their youth went against them, there might be a plot twist worth holding out for.The Sun has reported that there will be a second actor also playing the spy in the next film.

According to the outlet, the next instalment which has the working title Bond 26, “will star two 007s – one younger and one older”.

It remains unclear whether this would be the same version of the character played in different time periods, or whether the film will have two Bonds running around at the same time.

A spokesperson for Eon Productions and MGM said: “We do not comment on speculation.”