After the success of the Netflix series Bridgerton, the British-Zimbabwean lead actor Regé-Jean Page now becomes one of the current betting favorites to play the part of James Bond.
Series producer of James Bond, Barbara Broccoli, is the daughter of the legendary franchise producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli.
She previously divulged that they take the responsibility of the character and his legacy very seriously.
In an interview last year, she further stated that they’re open to a person of color playing a part in the future.
Broccoli previously told Variety, “He can be of any color, but he is male.” The series producer said that she believes they should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters.
Broccoli is not particularly interested in having women taking a male character. “I think women are far more interesting than that,” she added.
RJP creating buzz
British-Zimbabwean actor Regé-Jean Page, who is just fresh from his appearance in the new Netflix series Bridgerton, is now racing with previous bets for the James Bond’s role.
As revealed by the betting house, Ladbrokes in the UK, Variety’s latest odds has Page at 5/1. His result marks a rise from his 40/1 odds before the series premiered on Christmas Day.
Alex Pati, a representative for Ladbrokes, shared that what strengthens RJP’s chances is that an announcement feels seemingly imminent around Daniel Craig’s replacement.
“So the timing of ‘Bridgerton’ s success may well have worked in his favor,” he added.
The rooster of bets for the title
For the part of 007, Tom Hardy is currently the favorite according to Ladbrokes, who give him 6/4 odds. Other frontrunners for the role include:
- James Norton (7/4 odds)
- Idris Elba (7/2 odds)
- Richard Madden (6/1 odds)
- Sam Heughan (6/1 odds)
- Jack Lowden (8/1 odds)
- Cillian Murphy (10/1 odds)
Page recently posted a promotional tweet for the Netflix series, which included the phrase “Shaken and stirred,” a play on Bond’s drink order.
This somehow fueled speculation that he was up for the part in the early part of December.
Image courtesy of Netflix UK & Ireland/YouTube Screenshot