The “Bond 26″ casting rumors have been coming in hot-and-heavy, and while we’re mostly preaching extreme caution, there is a new one that makes a lot of sense to us, as the latest name is Jack Lowden of the hit Apple TV series “Slow Horses,” which sees Gary Oldman playing the overseer of a group of misfist MI5 Agents (UK’s domestic agency).
While a bunch of the sources have been mostly unnamed people that tabloids and trades have relied on, this time it’s coming from an actual true-blue human with a name: BBC presenter and podcaster Richard Osman (spotted by GQ Magazine). He brought up Lowden as a name he’s heard in the grapevine for the James Bond role on his podcast “The Rest is Entertainment” (though it’s not clear who told him and if they’re trustworthy).
“Someone told me for definite who the new Bond is the other day, but, I mean, that’s happened before,” Osman teased on his podcast. “The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden.” He went on to clarify after his caveat that he’s “definitely being strongly considered.” So, this should make many fans of Lowden’s work on “Slow Horses” super happy, although don’t get too excited until a contract is signed and announced.
Lowden seems like a good contender, as he’s mostly known for TV and seems to be in a similar position to Tom Francis (the only reported actor to have actually auditioned to play Bond), with a slew of would-be folks in the mix. Those other names have been mentioned over the last couple of years, including Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson, Cosmo Jarvis, Jacob Elordi, and more. His feature film credits include “Mary Queen of Scots,” “Dunkirk,” “The Outrun,” “Ella McCay,” and Duncan Jones‘ upcoming comic-book animated film “Rogue Trooper” (from 200AD, publisher of “Judge Dredd“).
Again, the rumor mill is in full swing, but trades have suggested that the casting process would have a serious swing over the summer, specifically in August. That doesn’t mean Lowden is 100%, but we can certainly see how he’d at least land on a list or be looked at for “Bond 26.” Whoever is chosen, we could not be happier that the creative team behind the relaunch includes Denis Villeneuve (“Dune: Part Three”), directing from a script penned by Steven Knight of “Peaky Blinders.”
