Will Damien Lewis Be The Next James Bond? Oddsmakers Say Yes

Damien Lewis, who stars on Showtime’s Homeland, has become the latest British star at the center of the speculation about who will be the next James Bond.

Damien Lewis As James Bond

According to UK oddsmakers, Lewis is now the favorite to pick up the 007 torch from Daniel Craig with odds of 6/4. Previously his odds of becoming the next bond were 25/1.

Rupert Adams, a William Hill spokesman, has expressed his shock at the dramatic turn in Lewis’s favor. “This is an unprecedented gamble, as for no apparent reason we have seen bets of up to £200 ($314) on Damian Lewis being named as the next Bond,” Adams told the Daily Telegraph. “This might well be significant.”

At 6/4, Lewis has pulled ahead of former favorite Idris Elba ( 5/2). Mad Max: Fury Road‘s Tom Hardy (at 4/1), Superman actor Henry Cavill (at 5/1) and Michael Fassbender (7/1) are all in contention according to bookies as well.

A couple of months ago, Luther and The Wire star Elba said that the frenzy that ensued after rumors first started to swirl about him assuming the part of Bond have made it highly unlikely that he’ll get to play the undercover agent.

“If there was ever any chance of me getting Bond, it’s gone,” the actor said at London’s British Film Institute, adding that the rumor was “really starting to eat itself.”

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