[Update: Tom Hiddleston has been rumored to be in the running for a while now, but as BMD reports, the actor is now confirmed to be in talks for the 25th James Bond film. We'll wait for the official word, but in the meantime, place your proverbial bets for Hiddleston as the next Bond by voting Yes/No in our poll below!]

Last summer, we told you about the odds-on favorite and darkhorse candidates in the running to play the next James Bond. Current Bond star Daniel Craig has been rather vocal about the role, making it quite clear that if he is to continue playing the character, "it would only be for the money." He's currently contractually obligated to make the return in Bond 25, but Craig also joked that he'd rather do himself physical harm than step into the shoes of 007 again. Names like Idris Elba, Damian Lewis, Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Michael Fassbender have been floated as likely candidates to take over, but now you can add Tom Hiddleston to the list in a more serious capacity.

As THR reports, British bookies are once more changing up the order of who they think is likely be play Bond going forward. Hardy and then Elba are still seen as favorites, but thanks to Hiddleston's turn as a secret agent in the John le Carré adaptation The Night Manager, his odds are improving. The six-episode spy thriller series essentially acted as a well-produced audition for Hiddleston's version of James Bond.


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Image via Magnet Releasing

In speaking to The Sunday Times, Hiddleston, a self-described "huge fan" of Bond, talked about the possibility of playing the famous character:

"I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing. If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity. And I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly."

That attitude is certainly in keeping with Craig's advice for whoever next inherits the role, one which Hiddleston is unapologetically fond of: Hiddleston also shared that he took time out of his Kong: Skull Island shooting schedule to check out Spectre in theaters. Bookmakers like William Hill are keeping an eye on Hiddleston's turn in The Night Manager to see just how Bond-like the 35-year-old English actor can be. A representative for the bookies said as much regarding the series:

"There are some very Bond-ish elements to The Night Manager, and the producers of the next 007 movie will surely be keeping an eye on Hiddleston’s performance in case Daniel Craig decides to step down."

Do you think Hiddleston would make a great Bond? If you've had a chance to check out The Night Manager, you probably have a better idea of just what kind of Bond he'd be, but Hiddleston certainly has a long enough track record of other roles to suggest he can pull off a wide range of characters. But is he Bond?


Vote for (or against) Hiddleston as Bond in our poll below and be sure to get caught up on The Night Manager if you haven't already:


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Image via AMC