You know what’s impressive? How quickly Jack Lowden has become a consensus-favorite for James Bond. I swear, his name only really started popping up in the Bond conversation a few months ago. Most of the rumormongering around 007 casting was centered around Jacob Elordi and Callum Turner. Well, according to the trade papers, the final rounds of screen tests and meetings are happening right now, and there are three actors in it to win it: Jack O’Connell, Callum Turner and Jack Lowden. But here’s a whole other conversation: who will be the new Bond Girl? Well, the bookmakers have some thoughts about all of this.

With the final James Bond screen tests that are expected to take place starting today, bookmakers are placing odds on the next Bond, Bond Girl and theme song artist.

As The Hollywood Reporter detailed Thursday, Jack Lowden, Callum Turner and Jack O’Connell are three finalists expected to test for the highly coveted role of 007.

But while studio Amazon MGM, producers and director Denis Villeneuve may or may not have made up their minds on who gets the role, bookmakers have released odds for anyone willing to enter the casino royale of online betting.

According to Oddschecker — a leading British betting-odds comparison platform that aggregates odds from established bookmakers — Slow Horses star Jack Lowden is the favorite heading into the home stretch at 8/13 — or a 62 percent chance (we’re just going to translate the odds into percentages so you don’t have to do the math). Masters of the Air star Turner is a bit behind with 25 percent. Disclosure Day star Josh O’Connor is at 13 percent. They’re followed by Richard Madden (11 percent), Jacob Elordi (7 percent) and O’Connell (8 percent).

For the next so-called “Bond girl” role, BetOnline has The Substance star Margaret Qualley at 33 percent, with Euphoria star Sydney Sweeney right behind at 25 percent. Sweeney is tied with Furiosa star Anya Taylor-Joy at 25 percent. Next comes Florence Pugh (17 percent), Zendaya (13 percent), Lauren Sánchez (5 percent) and Kate Winslet (4 percent). Several others names have around 3 percent odds, including Margot Robbie and Scarlett Johansson.

Of course, Bond movies tend to have more than one significant female character for Bond to partner or flirt with, so it’s entirely possible more than one actress from the oddsmakers list could be a Bond girl.

As for which artist will be chosen to write the next Bond movie’s theme song, Raye is tops with 50 percent implied chance, followed by Olivia Dean, Dua Lipa, Sienna Spiro, Lana Del Rey, Oasis and Lady Gaga.

In case you’re wondering about the prediction markets — which are a bit like bookmaking, but dumber — the top Kalshi pick for Bond is also Lowden, with 64 percent, followed by Turner (28 percent), O’Connor (19 percent), Idris Elba (9 percent), Barton (8 percent) and Robert Pattinson (7 percent).

[From THR]

I have some questions. First question: WTF?? Margaret Qualley? Sydney Sweeney? Anya Taylor Joy? Okay, Anya would actually be a GREAT Bond Girl, but I have my doubts that she would want any part of it, and I also have my doubts that Bond-loving men would want her as a Bond Girl. Same with Qualley, who really seems completely at odds with the Bond franchise. Sydney absolutely wants it though, she’s like Callum Turner – she’s been doing everything she can to publicly audition for the part. Obviously, these are just what gamblers think, this is not the studio saying these are the names. But I’m truly shocked by the gamblers’ support for Qualley in particular. It seems so out of nowhere. God, I hope she doesn’t end up a Bond Girl.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.