Few movie franchises have had the cultural impact of the James Bond movies. Generations grew up watching 007 on the big screen (with the movies currently streaming with an Amazon Prime subscription), and all eyes are on what Denis Villeneuve will do with the developing 26th film. Specifically, who will play James. There are a number of names being tossed around online, and someone recently asked Jack Lowden about taking up the martini and pistol as the beloved MI6 agent.
No Time To Die's tragic ending brought an end to Daniel Craig's Bond movies, opening the door for someone else to take the mantle. Folks have been taking bets on who might play Bond next, and Lowden is just one such choice. In an interview with GQ he was asked about the online discourse, saying:
On this… It’s all very flattering. It’s nice to be mentioned – for any role – and I’m just not really going to add to the noise.
While he's not adding his own commentary to the situation, it sounds like Lowden has seen Gary Oldman's comments that he's on the shortlist to play 007. He seems to appreciate anyone considering him for a major role, yet alone something as big as James Bond. We'll just have to see who ends up playing that iconic character next, and whether or not it's the Slow Horses star.
Later in the same interview, Jack Lowden spoke more about his career, and aging in the entertainment industry. The actor, who is now 36 years old, spoke about his age changes the way people perceive him. When asked by the journalist about reaching the era when "You either become a leading man or you don't," Lowden said this:
I count myself lucky, in that I’ve had a relatively gradual build. So I’ve been allowed to develop as a man, as a person, outside the spotlight. It’s funny – you go from being ‘a bright young thing’ to just ‘a thing’.
Luckily that process has opened him up to new roles, and now he's a popular choice online to replace Daniel Craig as 007. Whether or not he actually get passed the baton remains to be seen, but the fact that he's allegedly on the short list is a testament to his talent and starpower.
As a reminder, Oldman's comments about Lowden came from an appearance on Global TV’s The Morning Show . He gushed about his Slow Horses co-star possibly getting the role saying:
It’s been rumored that [Jack] is on the shortlist. We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.
Clearly Lowden has Oldman's endorsement. Now that I think of it, it's surprising that the Oppenheimer actor never actually appeared in a Bond movie. I feel like he would have been a great antagonist for 007, especially considering his villainous roles in projects like Lost in Space and (especially) Air Force One. My FOMO is through the roof.
While we wait for Bond 26 casting news, folks can watch Slow Horses on Apple TV as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to see if Oldman gets his wish and his co-star gets to land the career-changing role.
