Gary Oldman has injected a fresh jolt of intrigue into one of Hollywood’s most closely watched casting searches, claiming that the next James Bond has already been selected even though Amazon MGM Studios has yet to announce Daniel Craig’s successor. The Oscar-winning actor made the comments while discussing his Slow Horses co-star Jack Lowden, whose name has been linked to the role, telling Canada’s The Morning Show that the Bond team had “made their choice” but had not revealed it publicly. Oldman stopped short of saying that Lowden is definitely the actor who has been cast, instead adding that his “fingers are crossed for Jack.”
That distinction matters. Variety reported Oldman’s remarks on Sept. 8 after the Morning Show interview aired on Sept. 4, but there has been no corresponding casting announcement from Amazon MGM. The studio’s most recent formal update on the process, issued May 14, said the search for the next Bond was underway and that it did not plan to discuss individual candidates during casting.
Why the next James Bond decision carries extra weight
Choosing a new Bond is always more than a single-film casting move. The actor inheriting 007 typically becomes the public face of a global franchise whose identity spans across theatrical releases, luxury-brand partnerships, international marketing and decades of pop-cultural recognition. This transition carries an added significance because it is the first Bond casting cycle after Amazon MGM assumed creative control of the franchise.
Amazon MGM, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson announced their new joint venture in February 2025, with the transaction closing on March 24 of that year. Broccoli and Wilson remained co-owners of the Bond intellectual property, while Amazon MGM took creative control of future productions, a major shift after generations of stewardship by the Broccoli family.
The studio has since assembled a high-profile creative team for Bond’s next chapter. Amy Pascal and David Heyman were named producers in March 2025, Denis Villeneuve was announced as director that June, and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight joined as screenwriter the following month. Tanya Lapointe is serving as executive producer.
Jack Lowden speculation gets a high-profile boost
Lowden’s candidacy inevitably attracts added attention because Oldman works alongside him on Apple’s Slow Horses, where Lowden plays MI5 agent River Cartwright opposite Oldman’s Jackson Lamb. That professional proximity gives Oldman’s endorsement more cultural weight than a typical piece of celebrity fantasy casting, but it does not establish that he has direct knowledge of Amazon MGM’s internal decision-making.
His wording also leaves room for interpretation. Oldman clearly suggested that he believes a Bond actor has been selected, but his subsequent expression of hope for Lowden indicates that he was not publicly confirming Lowden as the successful candidate. For an entertainment industry already accustomed to years of 007 casting reports and shifting frontrunner narratives, that is the line between a consequential clue and an official casting story.
The timing nevertheless puts renewed focus on Amazon MGM’s next move. Daniel Craig concluded his five-film run as Bond with 2021’s No Time to Die, leaving the franchise without an announced lead as the studio rebuilt the creative operation around Villeneuve, Knight, Pascal and Heyman. The director, writer and producers are now publicly established; the actor at the centre of the next era remains the crucial missing piece.
If Oldman’s information is accurate, the industry may no longer be waiting for a casting decision, but for Amazon MGM to make its choice public. Until the studio confirms who will inherit the role, however, Lowden remains a leading name in the Bond conversation rather than the confirmed next 007, a reminder of how quickly speculation around the franchise can become a global story before anything is officially announced.
Where the James Bond Franchise Stands
Daniel Craig ended his run as James Bond with No Time to Die in 2021 after five films as 007, leaving the franchise without a confirmed new lead. Since then, the future of Bond has entered a new phase under Amazon MGM Studios, which assumed creative control of the franchise while longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson remained co-owners of the intellectual property.
Amazon MGM has since begun assembling the creative team for the next Bond film, including director Denis Villeneuve, producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, and screenwriter Steven Knight. The identity of the next actor to play 007, however, has not yet been officially announced, which is why Oldman’s comments have drawn renewed attention to the casting process.
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