By the time No Time to Die finally hits theaters in April, five and a half years will have passed since the release of Spectre, which marks the longest gap between James Bond movies in over a quarter of a century since fans waited six years between Timothy Dalton’s License to Kill and Pierce Brosnan’s Goldeneye.
It also comfortably sets a record for the most time between projects starring the same actor in the lead role, with no other incumbent of the tux waiting any longer than three years for another adventure. Daniel Craig’s final outing as 007 has faced several delays as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, of course, and while audiences will be hoping that No Time to Die is more than worth it in the end, from almost the second it fades to black, the rumor mill surrounding his replacement will kick into overdrive.
There’ve been a whole host of names linked to the iconic secret agent already, although some experts believe frontrunner Henry Cavill might be too famous now. A fresh contender seems to have entered the race, though, one who can currently be seen on Netflix’s hottest new show.
A flurry of bets of have recently been placed on Regé-Jean Page to drastically shorten his odds, and the actor’s star is firmly on the rise. Having appeared in the 2016 remake of Roots and canceled ABC legal drama For the People, he plays one of the main roles in Shonda Rhimes’ first Netflix series Bridgerton, which has been dominating the most-watched list since being added to the library on Christmas Day.
Page is gaining strong notices for his charismatic performance, and while he’s just one of many potential candidates to become the next James Bond, as a relative and very handsome unknown who looks good in a suit, he may indeed be on the studio’s radar.