Final screen tests in late October narrowed the field to Jack Lowden, Callum Turner, and Josh O’Connor, positioning Lowden as the market leader thanks to his Scottish background, proven spy credentials as River Cartwright on *Slow Horses*, and public backing from co-star Gary Oldman. Callum Turner’s strong physical presence, rising profile, and recent marriage to Dua Lipa sustain his second-place standing, while O’Connor’s recent turns in *Challengers* and *The Crown* keep him in the mix for a more cerebral take. With no official announcement yet under Amazon MGM’s new oversight and Denis Villeneuve directing, the elevated “no Bond chosen” odds reflect the still-fluid timeline expected to resolve by year-end. Lowden’s coy November comments that the speculation is “flattering” but he won’t “add to the noise” have done little to shift trader consensus built on the recent audition momentum.