Next James Bond: Actor who ‘previously auditioned’ for 007 role becomes NEW frontrunner in shock twist

The quest for the next 007 has taken a fresh turn as a star who once auditioned for the role shot to become the bookies’ favourite to succeed Daniel Craig.

Speculation on who will be chosen to be the new Bond has intensified since streaming giant Amazon took full creative control of the franchise last month.

Long-time producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli chose to step aside leaving the franchise in the hands of Amazon MGM.

Betfred’s Robert Ford has noted a “significant amount of movement” in the next James Bond market in recent days.

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Previous favourite Theo James, of The Gentlemen fame, has seen his chances drift from 7/4 to 8/1 – seeing his probability drop from 36.4 percent to a woeful 11.1 percent.

Now replacing James at the top of the tuxedoed pile is former Superman star Henry Cavill.

The 41-year-old actor has seen his odds dramatically shorten, with Betfred seeing him move from 3/1 to an impressive 2/1 chance.

He now has a 33.3 percent chance of swooping the role, a huge increase over his earlier 25.

His casting would be an end to a 20-year saga that began when the actor, then 22, auditioned for the part – eventually losing out to Daniel Craig.

Previous frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson has seen odds widen from 3/1 to 4/1, leaving him second in contention per the bookies.

Bond race newcomer Harris Dickinson, who shot to mainstream attention starring alongside Nicole Kidman in Babygirl, holds joint-third spot in the running alongside James Norton at 7/1.

Challengers and The Crown’s Josh O’Connor has also seen “significant” shift in his chances – collapsing to 10/1 from 3/1 or a 9.1 percent probability from 25.

Despite endorsement from his Black Bag co-stars Michael Fassbender and Naomie Harris, Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page remains an outside choice with 20/1.

Speculation on Bond will likely increase further as Amazon is thought to have decided on 2027 as a release date for the spy’s 26th outing.

The streaming giant has reportedly allocated a substantial £250 million budget for Bond 26, £30 million more than the amount spent on Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 in No Time to Die.

Amazon bosses are reportedly keen to see a return on their investment in the franchise and have “fast-tracked” production of the next film.