Last week, there were so many rumors circulating about the James Bond franchise and the months-long casting process. It’s been pretty much confirmed that Jacob Elordi is out of the running for 007, but that Callum Turner, Josh O’Connor and Jack Lowden were all coming in for screen tests. There were also rumors that a “mystery actor” was coming in for a screen test and that this actor’s name had not appeared on any shortlists. Well, there’s a theory and a growing body of evidence that the mystery actor might be… Joe Alwyn!?!
James Bond fans are claiming they’ve figured out the identity of the ‘mystery’ actor who has joined Callum Turner and Jack Lowden in the 007 auditions. After years of rumours and speculation, it was revealed over the weekend that a final shortlist of stars were performing screen tests at Bray Studios. Turner kicked off the auditions on Friday and on Saturday a mystery star was seen leaving the auditions.
Bond sleuths have flooded social media with theories about who the unnamed actor could be, and one name that has appeared multiple times is Joe Alwyn. The actor has previously appeared in Conversations With Friends, The Brutalist, and Hamnet – and fans have said it would ‘make sense’ if he was the unnamed star.
One social media user wrote: ‘I can’t think of any other reason why they would hide the actor, Joe has a good reason tho to be hidden tho. Nina Gold one of the casting directors knows Joe really well, she’s known him from drama school and casts him in his first film as well as now. Making the actor hidden because that’s the most likely to be confirmed bond I don’t think is the case as why would they announce the other three if they already know who it’s likely to be.’
The post, which was shared on Reddit, then sparked a sea of responses agreeing with the theory. They included: ‘Never thought about him as a contender before, but it makes sense; He is supposed to be filming in NYC for a Rom com, but was in London this week for a friend’s wedding and potentially this audition.’
Screen tests were said to be taking place throughout this weekend, with between three and five actors understood to have reached the last stages of the process. A source told the Daily Mail: ‘Daniel Craig’s replacement has been years in the making and Callum was called today [Friday] to have his chance to impress the bosses. The next three days are going to be very interesting indeed.’
I don’t have anything against Alwyn as an actor or a person, but if he’s the mystery actor, I am worried about the Bond franchise. I mean… THIS is the shortlist? Alwyn, O’Connor, Lowden and Turner? Not to parrot right-wing talking points, but maybe there is a masculinity crisis? No offense to Lowden, who is probably the most overtly masculine one out of this list. Like, we’re trying to cast someone to play JAMES BOND, this is not an art film where a guy cries after staring at a tulip for too long.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images and Instar.
-
- BAFTA Film Awards red carpet arrivals at the Royal Festival Hall in London, UK. Joe Alwyn attends the BAFTA Film Awards at the Royal Festival Hall in London, UK on February 22, 2026. London Royal Festival Hall UK Copyright: xFredxDuvalx,Image: 1077479165, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no , Credit line: IMAGO/Fred Duval/Avalon
-
- Joe Alwyn attends the “Kinds Of Kindness” Photocall at the 77th annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 18, 2024 in Cannes, France.,Image: 874102661, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Olivier Huitel / Avalon
-
- Joe Alwyn,,Image: 903813406, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Maria Laura Antonelli / AGF Foto / Avalon
-
- 81st Venice International Film Festival, Italy – The Brutalist – Photocall,Image: 908766557, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Available in UK, USA & Europe excluding Poland, Model Release: no, Pictured: Joe Alwyn, Credit line: KIKA/Wenn/Avalon
-
- Joe Alwyn bei der Verleihung der GQ Men of the Year Awards 2024 in den Kensington Roof Gardens. London, 19.11.2024 *** Joe Alwyn at the GQ Men of the Year Awards 2024 at Kensington Roof Gardens London, 19 11 2024 Foto:xS.xVasx/xFuturexImagex gq_london_4221,Image: 936691516, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: imago is entitled to issue a simple usage license at the time of provision. Personality and trademark rights as well as copyright laws regarding art-works shown must be observed. Commercial use at your own risk., Model Release: no, Credit line: IMAGO/Steve Vas/Avalon/Avalon
-
- MUSEUM ROW, MIRACLE MILE, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – MARCH 15: Joe Alwyn arrives at the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscar Party (98th Annual Academy Awards) Hosted By Mark Guiducci held at the David Geffen Galleries at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) at 5905 Wilshire Blvd on March 15, 2026 in Museum Row, Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, United States.,Image: 1083818219, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no , Pictured: Joe Alwyn , Credit line: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Avalon
-
- Charles Finch and Chanel pre-Bafta party, at 5 Hertford Street Featuring: Joe Alwyn Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Feb 2026 Credit: Ian West/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
-
- Charles Finch and Chanel pre-Bafta party, at 5 Hertford Street Featuring: Joe Alwyn Where: London, United Kingdom When: 21 Feb 2026 Credit: Ian West/PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Theo James and James Norton are right there, very talented and very British.
The possible working list is not the move.
He’d be the first Bond who’d pause mid-run to take a shot from an inhaler. He always looks to me like he’s someone whose allergy test lit the entire panel.
💀
Hate to be so negative but this guy is a charisma void. The only reason we know him is because of Taylor Swift, his film work is completely forgettable.
Totally agree on Theo James and James Norton. Yes please.
Joe Alwyn is pretty, certainly, but I don’t see him for Bond. Agree with Theo James or James Norton or Aidan Turner of Poldark. Aidan Turner would be great. He’d be my first pick.
Aidan Turner would be FANTASTIC.
I came here specifically to say he makes a charisma vacuum look interesting. I don’t even find his face interesting and he lacks the physicality and the necessary charm.
I am betting hes floating his own name, he isn’t being considered.
Theo James has already ruled himself out of Bond – he’s a good actor (and yes I did love him in those Underworld movies he did, judge me all you like 🙂 ) who seems to be forging an interesting career for himself outside those big action type movies he’s done in the past.
Jack Lowden for the win.
I cast my vote for “Poor Mister Pamuk”
I second that vote
Third.
Bland. James Bland.
@SUE 🤣🤣
😂😆
I once read Alwyn described as: that Victorian child.
And that’s all I see now when I look at photos of him.
My bond was roger Moore, so, this bond was never for me.
I think Jack Lowden could be great. He’s got the acting chops, can do a mix of drama, action and light comedy, and is also a good combination of rugged and pretty.
I liked Alwyn’s performance in “Hamnet” but that was a supporting role in a very different kind of movie. I absolutely could not see him carrying the franchise as Bond. Nothing against him as a person and I do think he can act. He’s just not a good fit for the part. At all.
The problem is not the masculinity or lack of it but the fact that all of those choices are quite frankly boring.
It’s Josh O’Connor being considered. You’re conflating Jack O’Connell and him. Two different people.
I wish Jack O’Connell was in the running!
Seriously he’d be fantastic.
I am tired of speculation about bond because it’s been happening forever! Ready for them to announce.
This list is not exciting to me. And Joe always looks tired to me. Like he needs some sleep. I don’t feel like he’d have the charisma for Bond.
I like Joe and have a lot of respect for him. But I don’t know enough about his range to know if he could do this – but then none of us do. He could have blown them away in the audition. As for masculinity – in 2026 the kind of misygonistic masculinity that Bond has always had will not fly now. They will need to pivot in order to keep the franchise fresh and attract a younger audience. Perhaps that is what they are doing. Frankly I don’t think it will be any of these guys. They did this exact thing with Craig – there were a bunch of names attached and then BAM here comes Craig out of left field.
Eh. I think he will just go the Marvel route and bulk up. It’s not like Chris Evans looked the way he did before Captain America. That dude was frankly non-descript to me in so many ways before Cap America.
I’m not super excited about anyone on this list. Maybe Josh O’Connor? he is my #1 I think. I dont want Callum turner, I dont know Jack lowden really, and all I know of this guy is that he’s Taylor’s ex.
It just feels like a very boring list honestly.
Agree with Kaiser. Joe Alwyn has a nice deep voice, he is really tall, and he has a pudding face. I never liked the Bond franchise because it was so cutsey/camp. Things got a little better with Daniel Craig, but there was only one movie with him that was really good. With Bond, there are so many opportunities here, why squander them? Ian Fleming worked for British Naval Intelligence during WWII, came from a wealthy banking family, was in journalism. I think the Broccoli family ruined Bond previously, and it is a great opportunity for Amazon and it will have a great director. Villeneuve caught my attention when I saw Lucy and a few other movies. I think he will give the franchise the gravity of a spy movie that it requires. I am looking forward to the movie. As far as the lead actor, please tell me they have an ace up their sleeve. I don’t like being pulled this way and that. Hope it’s a good actor that has a lot of Y chromosomes, that makes a woman want to tear her clothes off when he says hello.
I couldn’t even think of anything Joe Alwyn has been in let alone have I seen him in anything. He just looks so bland. This feels like an easy pass.
If you watch the season finale of the newest season of Slow Horses, I feel like Jack Lowden makes a lot more sense for Bond.
All these guys being floated for Bond look iron deficient and are just homely.
I have to admit that after a certain point all of these blonde 30ish dudes who are supposedly up for Bond started looking the same to me – I don’t know if I could identify who was who in a lineup. Is it just me?
I think the bigger question isn’t Who will be the new Bond, but What will be the new Bond? My pitch would be to stop trying to bring the character into the modern age and go right back to the post WWII, cold war origins, even before the Sean Connery films. Yes, that would make the character impossibly old, but who cares? He’s been played by a handful of people with different faces, nationalities, and accents! If we’re going to have 007, have him hunting Nazis and war criminals, find evil villains with secret lairs, drive cool cars, use ridiculous gadgets, and prevent nuclear war by being the most obvious spy in the room. Embrace the silliness of it all, perhaps without the misogyny and racism? I don’t even know if that’s possible, honestly.
I’d be interested in this.
It would be an interesting take on the source material.
I thought Casino Royale was a great reboot for the series. It wasn’t just a great Bond movie, it was a great movie period. The adaptation of the dated source material to modern times was perfect. Whoever adapted the novel to the screenplay did a fantastic job. But then, they went off on their own instead of adapting the novels one by one. Not sure what their thinking on that was.
The original Fleming novels are very dated in their attitudes towards women and non-white people. It’s rather hard to take as a modern reader. But the main story is usually worth adapting.
Perhaps he would make a good Bond because he is absolutely what a real spy would look like – able to fly under the radar but be charming when he needs to be. So if they’re going for a more realistic touch I can see why they’ve gone for these types of guys for the shortlist. But, saying that, there is quite a dearth of memorable male actors in this age bracket.
Well, trying to look at the positives: they all have good acting skills, which is reassuring. I don’t see any of them as the next James Bond, though (and I like them all – just not for this role.) It should have been Idris (and that’s a hill I’ll die on), but if it’s not him, how about Tom Rhys Harries? Good looking dude, physicality is there, British, can act, still young, not overexposed. He’s got my vote 😊
WOW,@kaiser…you hit that right-wing talking point with quite some aplomb! LOL! Seriously, though, I get what you’re saying but let’s not forget Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan both played Bond as far more charming and debonair than the masculine misogynist that Sean Connery did…and even Daniel Craig played the character with far more levity and sensitivity than the others. All of the actors are interesting choices…but personally, I would like to see Richard Madden as Bond. His series “Bodyguard” was awesome, but I know he’s probably considered “too old”…which is crazy in itself!