Despite remaining tight-lipped on the subject of playing the next James Bond, Callum Turner has surged past his closest competitors in the prediction markets. Kalshi now has the man recently betrothed to pop star Dua Lipa as 36% to play the next 007.
“I don't know anything, so I can't comment”
The market shift came shortly after the publication of a new Esquire UK interview with Turner. Asked about rumors he might play the next Bond, Turner said he could not say one way or the other. "I'm not going to comment on that," he said. "I don't know anything, so I can't comment. There's nothing for me to comment on."
Pressed a little further on the subject, Turner labeled it a "loaded thing" and said it was "best just to not say anything." He did, however, concede to accept the compliment when the reporter said they thought he would make a great 007.
Notably, Turner has responded the same way the past three times he has been asked publicly about playing Bond. He gave near-identical answers at the Berlin Film Festival in February and to Hollywood Reporter in June.
Debbie McWilliams, the former Bond Casting Director who was in charge of casting Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig plus others, has claimed Turner would be wrong for the role. She also ruled out Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi, claiming the Bond actor should not be "too well known" so that the spy "retains a total enigma."
Despite this, Turner has remained the clear frontrunner to play Bond for most of the past year. The tables seemed to turn briefly earlier this month when UK radio presenter and TV host Richard Osman revealed he had heard a very strong rumor Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden was being "strongly considered." The odds shifted heavily in Lowden's favor at the time, with Kalshi pricing him at 31%.
At the time of writing, Turner is the clear favorite and Lowden second at 28%. Elordi and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are joint-third with 12% odds.