The next James Bond has not been publicly identified, but one former 007 has offered his opinion on the actors being discussed.
Pierce Brosnan, who played the British secret agent in four films between 1995 and 2002, has singled out Callum Turner as an actor he particularly admires.
His comments appeared in a Vanity Fair interview published on November 3 and were reported by Variety, Euronews and other entertainment publications the following day.
Brosnan's assessment carries a personal connection: he previously worked with Turner on the 2017 drama The Only Living Boy in New York.
The veteran actor praised Turner's abilities, while also emphasizing his respect for the other performers whose names have appeared in the casting conversation.
What he did not do was announce that Turner has secured the role.
Brosnan gave no indication that he possessed inside knowledge of Amazon MGM Studios' final decision.
That distinction matters because speculation around the next Bond has reached a stage where almost any public appearance or industry development is treated as evidence of an imminent announcement.
For now, the studio has confirmed its creative team but not its leading actor.
Brosnan knows Turner's work firsthand
The two actors appeared together in The Only Living Boy in New York, directed by Marc Webb and released in 2017.
Turner portrayed Thomas Webb, a young man navigating complicated romantic and family relationships in New York.
Brosnan played his father, Ethan.
Their work together gives Brosnan a direct professional basis for commenting on Turner as a performer.
In his Vanity Fair interview, Brosnan described Turner as particularly strong and praised the presence, physical qualities and vocal abilities of the actors being discussed.
He also suggested that the performers mentioned in reports have the potential for substantial careers ahead of them.
The comments were not framed as an official endorsement from the Bond production team.
Brosnan described himself as an interested audience member waiting for the same announcement as everyone else.
He offered his encouragement to whoever eventually receives the part.
That makes his remarks more generous than competitive. He clearly admires Turner, but he did not dismiss the other reported candidates.
For Turner, public praise from a former James Bond is valuable recognition. It is not equivalent to a signed contract.
Callum Turner has experience beyond major franchises
At 36, Turner has built a career that includes independent dramas, large fantasy productions and historical television.
He played Theseus Scamander in Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald and Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore.
Those appearances gave him experience working inside an established global franchise with complicated production requirements and extensive visual effects.
He later portrayed Joe Rantz in The Boys in the Boat, George Clooney's historical sports drama about the American rowing team competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Turner also starred in Masters of the Air, the Apple TV drama following American bomber crews during the Second World War.
These roles demonstrate an ability to move between different genres and production scales.
That range could appeal to filmmakers developing a new version of Bond.
The character requires physical credibility, emotional complexity and the ability to handle scenes in which dialogue and personal presence matter as much as action.
However, identifying those qualities in Turner's filmography does not prove that Amazon MGM considers him its preferred candidate.
His participation in reported casting discussions remains separate from an official appointment.
As of November 5, 2026, the studio has not announced Turner as the next James Bond.
Reported screen tests are not official casting announcements
The search appears to be approaching an important stage.
In late October, Variety reported that final screen tests were expected to take place, with Turner and Jack Lowden among those believed to be under consideration.
Other industry reports have mentioned Josh O'Connor and a possible fourth contender.
These reports rely on sources familiar with the casting process.
Amazon MGM has not published a complete official shortlist or confirmed which actors have undertaken final auditions.
There are several distinctions worth preserving.
An actor being mentioned as a possible candidate does not establish that he has auditioned.
Taking part in a screen test does not guarantee inclusion in the final selection.
And being described as a favorite by journalists or bookmakers does not mean the producers have reached a decision.
Casting director Nina Gold is involved in the selection process.
In May 2026, Amazon MGM issued an official statement confirming that the search was underway while declining to discuss individual candidates.
The studio has not publicly reversed that position.
Jack Lowden and Josh O'Connor remain prominent names
Turner is not the only actor whose career has attracted attention in the Bond discussion.
Jack Lowden, also 36, is known internationally for portraying River Cartwright in Slow Horses.
The Apple TV series follows British intelligence officers whose professional mistakes have resulted in their reassignment to an unpopular department.
Its tone is considerably more cynical and deliberately unglamorous than traditional James Bond films.
Nevertheless, Lowden's experience in an espionage story helps explain why commentators have considered him a plausible candidate.
His co-star Gary Oldman has publicly expressed support for the possibility of Lowden taking the role.
That expression of support, like Brosnan's comments about Turner, does not confirm anything about the studio's decision.
Josh O'Connor has also appeared in reports concerning the casting search.
His credits include God's Own Country, The Crown, La Chimera and Challengers.
O'Connor's career emphasizes a different kind of screen presence, frequently relying on restrained emotional expression and complicated relationships.
He has acknowledged the attention surrounding the Bond speculation but has not confirmed his participation in the final selection.
For now, Turner, Lowden and O'Connor remain reported possibilities rather than confirmed Bond actors.
Betting odds are not production information
The speculation surrounding Turner has intensified partly because British bookmakers have shortened his odds.
Some outlets now describe him as the leading favorite to inherit the role.
Those rankings can be useful for understanding public expectations, but they are not evidence of confidential decisions inside a movie studio.
Betting markets react to demand, publicity and changing perceptions.
A widely circulated report may cause prices to move even when no new verified casting decision has been made.
The same caution applies to recent speculation about Turner's business activities.
British reports have connected his departure from a directorship at a production company with the possibility that he is preparing for a lengthy commitment to Bond.
No confirmed evidence establishes that the administrative change occurred because he accepted the role.
Other details, including public appearances or references to familiar Bond imagery, have also been interpreted as clues.
Such interpretations may entertain audiences, but they do not establish the existence of a contract.
The distinction between reporting and speculation is especially important when the studio itself continues to withhold casting information.
Brosnan understands the challenges of taking over 007
Brosnan's comments carry historical weight because he experienced a major transition in the franchise himself.
He became James Bond in GoldenEye, released in 1995 after a six-year gap following Licence to Kill.
The political landscape had changed substantially during that period.
The Cold War had ended, and the character needed to establish his relevance in an international environment different from the one that had shaped many earlier Bond stories.
Brosnan brought a combination of elegance, dry humor and contemporary action-movie energy to the role.
He returned for Tomorrow Never Dies in 1997, The World Is Not Enough in 1999 and Die Another Day in 2002.
His tenure helped define the series during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Daniel Craig subsequently took over in Casino Royale in 2006.
Craig's interpretation placed greater emphasis on physical vulnerability, emotional consequences and a continuing character history across several films.
He completed five Bond movies, ending with No Time to Die in 2021.
Each change of actor has consequently represented more than the replacement of a familiar face.
The franchise has repeatedly reconsidered how its central character fits within contemporary cinema.
Brosnan's encouragement to the next performer recognizes the demands of that transition without attempting to dictate how the new actor should approach it.
Denis Villeneuve is confirmed to direct
Unlike the leading role, the director's position is settled.
Denis Villeneuve is officially attached to direct the twenty-sixth James Bond feature.
The Canadian filmmaker has developed an international reputation through Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and Dune.
His films frequently emphasize atmosphere, carefully composed images and tension built through space and character behavior.
Those qualities make his involvement particularly interesting for a franchise built around espionage, danger and elaborate international settings.
However, his previous work does not establish the tone of his Bond film.
There is no official synopsis confirming whether the story will be darker, more realistic or more action-focused than the previous installments.
The production has not explained how Villeneuve plans to reinterpret the character.
Brosnan expressed considerable enthusiasm for the filmmaker in his Vanity Fair interview.
He praised Villeneuve's visual imagination and approach to storytelling, indicating that he expects an ambitious new installment.
That admiration is a personal assessment, not information about casting or the film's finished content.
Steven Knight is writing the screenplay
Steven Knight is officially attached to write the next Bond movie.
The British screenwriter is best known as the creator of Peaky Blinders.
His other credits include Eastern Promises, the crime drama directed by David Cronenberg, along with several film and television stories involving violence, loyalty and competing forms of authority.
His participation creates a partnership between two storytellers with established individual approaches.
Villeneuve will direct the film, while Knight is responsible for developing its screenplay.
That structure offers a clear creative foundation even though the lead actor remains unannounced.
The film's plot is still unknown.
Amazon MGM has not revealed its main antagonist, supporting characters, locations or how the new story will relate to Daniel Craig's completed narrative.
The choice of a new Bond may also carry implications for several future installments.
The role has historically involved substantial commitments extending across production, promotion and multiple movies.
The studio must therefore consider not only an actor's suitability for one story but the kind of long-term identity it wants to build around him.
Amazon MGM is entering a new era of Bond production
The upcoming film will also be the first developed under the franchise's reorganized creative leadership.
In February 2025, Amazon MGM Studios reached an agreement with longtime Bond custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.
The arrangement gave Amazon MGM creative control over future films while preserving shared ownership interests with the historical partners.
For decades, the Broccoli family's involvement had been central to decisions concerning the franchise.
The shift therefore represents a major institutional change, even before the next Bond actor is selected.
Amy Pascal and David Heyman are producing the new film.
Pascal has extensive experience with Sony Pictures and the Spider-Man franchise.
Heyman is closely associated with the Harry Potter films and other major international productions.
Tanya Lapointe is attached as executive producer.
Together, the team brings experience in managing successful properties across numerous films.
Their task is not simply to find another actor with the right appearance or action credentials.
They must also determine how the franchise should develop under a new creative organization while preserving the characteristics audiences associate with James Bond.
No detailed creative strategy concerning the character's personality, continuity or future supporting cast has yet been officially disclosed.
An announcement before the end of 2026 is possible
Producer Amy Pascal indicated in August 2026 that an announcement before the end of the year would be a reasonable expectation.
That comment did not establish a fixed announcement date.
Amazon MGM has not scheduled a public presentation or confirmed a specific day when the new actor will be revealed.
Industry reports have suggested production could begin in 2027, with a possible theatrical release in 2028.
Those remain reported plans rather than a confirmed release calendar.
The film has no officially announced final title.
References to Bond 26 are convenient descriptions of the project rather than an established theatrical title.
There is also no official character photography showing Turner, Lowden or O'Connor as James Bond.
Images of those actors used in current reporting are photographs from other professional appearances, not promotional material from the upcoming movie.
The next substantial development will be a formal casting announcement from Amazon MGM Studios.
Brosnan's support should not be mistaken for the final decision
Brosnan's remarks provide an interesting perspective from someone who knows what it means to inherit the James Bond role.
His appreciation of Callum Turner is particularly relevant because the two actors have worked together.
But the current casting process remains under the responsibility of the studio, producers and director.
Turner continues to be discussed in industry reporting, alongside Jack Lowden and Josh O'Connor.
None has been officially named as Daniel Craig's successor.
The larger challenge concerns the identity of the character itself.
From Sean Connery to Brosnan and Craig, each new leading actor has kept recognizable elements of Bond while changing others to suit a particular period of filmmaking.
Villeneuve and Knight now have the opportunity to create another version within that tradition.
Brosnan has made his admiration for Turner clear. He has also made clear that he is waiting to discover who receives the part.
The next decisive piece of news will not come from betting odds or celebrity endorsements.
It will come when Amazon MGM finally announces the actor who will become the next James Bond.
