Next James Bond producers ‘targeting’ Oscar-nominated star for reboot ‘with two 007s’ | Films | Entertainment

Speculation is rife over who the new 007 will be and by the sounds of it, big changes could be afoot for the franchise.

We’ve just had two Doctors at once in the final Doctor Who 60th anniversary special and now the latest rumour is that James Bond will follow suit in Bond 26.

Apparently, the hotly-anticipated reboot will star two Bonds, one younger and one older.

If the rumour turns out to be true, presumably we’d be witnessing flashbacks, although how they would sustain this over a series of movies would be a challenge.

For what it’s worth, Oscar-nominee Paul Mescal is reportedly among the Bond producers’ “top targets” for the younger version of Ian Fleming’s spy.

The Sun reports that Mescal, whose odds of being cast are 25-1, is in talks to play one of the two next Bonds.

The 27-year-old Irish actor shot to fame in 2020 TV BBC drama Normal People and he’s set to star as Lucius in the upcoming Gladiator 2.

When asked about 007 by Digital Spy in 2020, he replied: “Would I play Bond? Yeah? I don’t know. If it ever came my way, we’d discuss it.’

However, Bond producer Gregg Wilson exclusively told Express.co.uk last month: “No plans on making the next Bond at this stage. There will be another Bond someday, but we’re not actively developing it.”

Whatever the case, our best bet is that the new 007 will be announced in late 2024 for a late 2025 release.