{"id":6912,"date":"2026-07-15T19:41:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=6912"},"modified":"2026-07-15T19:41:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T14:41:11","slug":"who-is-tom-francis-lesser-known-british-actor-soaring-up-james-bond-odds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/?p=6912","title":{"rendered":"Who is Tom Francis, lesser-known British actor soaring up James Bond odds?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><script>\r\n  atOptions = {\r\n    'key' : '644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6',\r\n    'format' : 'iframe',\r\n    'height' : 90,\r\n    'width' : 728,\r\n    'params' : {}\r\n  };\r\n<\/script>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/www.highperformanceformat.com\/644b717812d811d6a1c1fc5b6ccd6fa6\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"646\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_297648485-3929.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28405301\" alt=\"British actor Tom Francis attends the red carpet for the premiere of Netflix's 'You' wearing a blue shirt\" decoding=\"sync\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Could Tom Francis be the next James Bond? (Picture: Yenesel\/Epa-efe\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The name\u2019s Bond. <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/james-bond\/\">James Bond<\/a>. But who will play Hollywood\u2019s legendary spy next? <\/p>\n<p>Well, now that <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2021\/10\/18\/dune-review-timothee-chalamet-sci-fi-is-dry-dusty-and-lacking-spice-15439407\/\">Dune<\/a> director <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/06\/26\/denis-villeneuve-threatens-overshadow-new-james-bond-whoever-23514182\/\">Denis Villeneuve is done playing in the sand on Arrakis and ready to get to work on his new Bond movie<\/a>, the hunt is well and truly on for the next 007.<\/p>\n<p>And ever since <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/daniel-craig\/\">Daniel Craig<\/a> vacated the role in 2019, after getting blown up by a missile, people have speculated which actor could slip into Bond\u2019s iconic tuxedo. <\/p>\n<p>Names like <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/jacob-elordi\/\">Jacob Elordi<\/a>, <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/harris-dickinson\/\">Harris Dickinson<\/a> and <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" data-track=\"inline-tag-auto-link_article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/aaron-johnson\/\">Aaron Taylor-Johnson<\/a> have all been rumoured over the years.<\/p>\n<p>However, there\u2019s a new(ish) name in the mix if the rumours are to be believed. Supposedly, 26-year-old Tom Francis<strong> <\/strong>has auditioned for the part, and he\u2019s one of the new favourites?<\/p>\n<p>So who is Francis and what are his chances of getting his hands on a license to kill? Let\u2019s investigate\u2026<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_295856726-d294.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28409365\" alt=\"British singer Tom Francis arrives for the 2026 Met Gala celebrating \" costume=\"\" art=\"\" at=\"\" the=\"\" metropolitan=\"\" museum=\"\" of=\"\" in=\"\" new=\"\" york=\"\" on=\"\" may=\"\" by=\"\" angela=\"\" weiss=\"\" afp=\"\" via=\"\" getty=\"\" images=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Tom Francis looks at home in a tuxedo \u2013 could this add to his case for being the next Bond?(Picture: Angela Weiss\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who is Tom Francis?<\/h2>\n<p>Tom Francis is an Olivier Award-winning actor known for his roles on the West End and Broadway.<\/p>\n<p>The actor most recently starred opposite Nicole Scherzinger in Jamie Lloyd\u2019s take on Sunset Boulevard, and has also appeared in six episodes of You on Netflix.<\/p>\n<p>To date, Francis is best known for his stage work, appearing on the West End in productions of Hair, &amp; Juliet and Sunset Boulevard.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"430\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_297648486-75f5.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28405300\" alt=\"tom francis 'you' picture: NETFLIX\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Tom Francis starred alongside Penn Badgley in Netflix\u2019s You (Picture: Netflix)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>He made his film debut in last year\u2019s Jay Kelly, which was directed by Noah Baumbach and starred George Clooney.<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s also set to feature in upcoming sports drama The Mosquito Bowl, directed by Peter Berg and starring Nicholas Galitzine and Bill Skarsg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n<p>His biggest screen role to date was in <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/04\/25\/watched-49-hours-season-5-made-regret-22971309\/\">Netflix\u2019s stalker series You<\/a>, where he appeared as Clayton Angevine during the fifth series.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"446\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/PRI_173885287-e535.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28405256\" alt=\"RENT press shot\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>The actor\u2019s stage background includes a production of Rent (Picture: Rent)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/film\/news\/james-bond-tom-francis-audition-amazon-mgm-1236749910\/\">Variety<\/a>, Francis had auditioned in a process overseen by Bond casting director Nina Gold.<\/p>\n<p>It said a source with knowledge of the production told the publication. <\/p>\n<p>However, representatives for both Francis and Amazon MGM did not comment when approached by the outlet.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"363\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/SEI_292736191-c7ac.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-27934279\" alt=\"Louis Partridge smiling at an event in 2025.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Louis Partridge is another young Bond the studio is reportedly considering (Picture: Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Who else is in the running to be the new James Bond? Latest odds explored<\/h2>\n<p>While Francis might have auditioned, he\u2019s not the only name in the mix. <\/p>\n<p>Variety previously reported Amazon <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/04\/11\/meet-actor-22-tipped-play-youngest-james-bond-ever-27934194\/\">were considering 22-year-old Louis Partridge for the role<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While neither Partridge nor his team have commented on rumours, he did joke about how he might impress writer Steven Knight.<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Maybe I could be at the bar, swilling a martini, saying nothing,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2261635915.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-28167786\" alt=\"\" rosebush=\"\" pruning=\"\" press=\"\" conference=\"\" berlinale=\"\" international=\"\" film=\"\" festival=\"\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>Callum Turner is the bookies\u2019 current favourite (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In an interesting link, Partridge previously appeared in Knight\u2019s <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/tag\/netflix\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Netflix<\/a>\u00a0series\u00a0<a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2025\/09\/25\/netflix-period-drama-peaky-blinders-creator-will-next-obsession-24237682\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">House of Guinness<\/a>\u00a0last year, making this comment soon after Knight\u2019s appointment had been announced.<\/p>\n<p>As stated earlier, producers are reportedly on the lookout for a younger actor to play Bond for the reboot \u2013 even before Amazon MGM Studios purchased creative control of the franchise from Eon.<\/p>\n<p>Not only might a younger Bond increase the number of films their new lead could make, but also potential involvement in the tie-ins and spin-offs the studio has an eye on.<\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\" data-ico=\"factbox_article\" data-track-module=\"factbox_article\">\n<h2 class=\"factbox-title\">\n\t\t\t\tActors most likely to play James Bond next \t\t\t<\/h2>\n<div class=\"factbox-content\">\n<p><strong><em>According to Paddy Power, these are the latest odds on who will play James Bond next:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Callum Turner \u2013 5\/4<\/li>\n<li>Louis Partridge \u2013 10\/3<\/li>\n<li>Tom Francis \u2013 10\/3<\/li>\n<li>Harris Dickinson \u2013 4\/1<\/li>\n<li>Jacob Elordi \u2013 5\/1<\/li>\n<li>Aaron Taylor-Johnson \u2013 5\/1<\/li>\n<li>Jack Lowden \u2013 7\/1<\/li>\n<li>Josh O\u2019Connor \u2013 8\/1<\/li>\n<li>Henry Ashton \u2013 8\/1<\/li>\n<li>Theo James \u2013 10\/<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Ladbrokes spokesperson Alex Apati told Metro: \u2018The race to replace Daniel Craig is more wide-open than ever, and while Callum Turner continues to lead the way, the odds suggest an unknown name could well get the gig.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>Callum Turner is still the favourite to score the role with 10\/3 odds, with Frankenstein\u2019s Jacob Elordi at 5\/1 and Josh O\u2019Connor at 8\/1.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"img-container shareable-item wp-caption\">\n<div class=\"img-wrap\">\n\t\t<img width=\"646\" height=\"431\" src=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/SEI_260837898-bb4f.jpg?quality=90&amp;strip=all&amp;w=646\" class=\"article-image wp-image-29050604\" alt=\"Editorial use only. No book cover usage. Mandatory Credit: Photo by MGM\/Eon\/Danjaq\/UPI\/Kobal\/Shutterstock (10569636m) Daniel Craig as James Bond 'No Time To Die' Film - 2020 James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\"\/>\t<\/div><figcaption>When will we find out who\u2019s playing the next James Bond? (Picture: Danjaq\/UPI\/Kobal\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What do we officially know about the current casting stages?<\/h2>\n<p>MGM and Amazon have confirmed that \u2018the search for the next James Bond is underway,\u2019 however we shouldn\u2019t expect an imminent announcement. <\/p>\n<p>Instead, they\u2019ve been clear that they\u2019ll announce the news \u2018when the time is right\u2019. What\u2019s more, they won\u2019t be rushing a film out the door. <\/p>\n<p>\u2018Bond won\u2019t be back until 2028,\u2019 a source told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.thesun.co.uk\/tv\/38935696\/new-james-bond-film-actor\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Sun<\/a>. \u2018The production mindset\u2019s gone from \u201cLet\u2019s hurry this through\u201d to \u201cMake sure we get this right\u201d.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><em>Metro has reached out to Amazon MGM Studios for comment.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>[This article was first published on May 17.]<\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/10\/007-first-light-shows-video-games-better-summer-blockbusters-movies-29105259\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">007 First Light shows video games are better summer blockbusters than movies<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/09\/replaced-199-massage-gun-a-36-amazon-buy-im-seriously-impressed-29074132\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">I replaced my \u00a3199 massage gun with a \u00a336 Amazon buy \u2013 and I\u2019m seriously impressed<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"metro-more-link\"><svg><title>Arrow<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#common-right-arrow\" href=\"#common-right-arrow\"\/><\/svg><span class=\"mor-link\" data-track-module=\"mor-link_article\">MORE: <a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" href=\"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/2026\/07\/09\/i-lost-thousands-scammers-using-illegal-streaming-site-people-dont-know-risks-29014262\/?ico=more_text_links\" class=\"\">\u2018I lost thousands to scammers after using illegal streaming site \u2013 people don\u2019t know risks\u2019<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<section id=\"share-buttons-bottom\" class=\"share-buttons share-buttons-bottom\"><a class=\"metro-button share-bar-comments\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"#metro-comments-container\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Comment now<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-comment\" href=\"#social-comment\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-comments__label\">Comments<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/a><a data-ico=\"hyperlink-article\" class=\"metro-button share-bar-preferred-source\" data-vars-position=\"bottom\" href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/metro.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span><svg><title>Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google<\/title>\n<use xlink:href=\"#social-preferred-source\" href=\"#social-preferred-source\"\/><\/svg><\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"share-bar-preferred-source__label\">Add as preferred source<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t\t<\/a><\/section>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<script async=\"async\" data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"https:\/\/pl30214220.effectivecpmnetwork.com\/9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\/invoke.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div id=\"container-9ab3d4df8a7e1a6171e16ddbf732cc19\"><\/div>\r\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Could Tom Francis be the next James Bond? (Picture: Yenesel\/Epa-efe\/Shutterstock) The name\u2019s Bond. James Bond. But who will play Hollywood\u2019s legendary spy next? Well, now that Dune director Denis Villeneuve is done playing in the sand on Arrakis and ready to get to work on his new Bond movie, the hunt is well and truly&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6913,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/SEI_297648485-3929_1784125953.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200&h=630&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6912","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-celebrity-gossip"],"brizy_media":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6912","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6912"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6912\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/usnews-14267fa.ingress-comporellon.ewp.live\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}