Tom Hardy fans can rejoice as it has been reported he has been cast to play the role of James Bond.
After the news broke that Wirral-born Daniel Craig was stepping down after five outings as Bond, the rumour mill went into overdrive with fans speculating as to who could take over as the famous character.
Hardy, 43, had long been a bookies’ favourite to replace Craig but now respected movie source Emre Kaya at the Vulcan Reporter claims Tom had been offered the role in June after a successful audition.
It’s reported that Tom was to be announced as the successor in November, to coincide with the release of No Time To Die, but due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, this has been pushed back.
Tom Hardy is believed to have taken over the role of James Bond (Image: Getty Images)
Now it’s believed the announcement will be made later in the year or early 2021.
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan, who worked with Tom on the 2017 box office smash Dunkirk and is a fan-favourite to work on the Bond film, has said the actor would be “amazing” in the role.
Speaking on MTV’s Happy Sad Confused podcast in 2017, he said: “He’d be amazing. He really would.”
Daniel Craig has played James Bond in the last five films
While James Norton had long been the bookies’ favourite, Coral’s David Stevens told Daily Star Online: “Tom Hardy has always been close to the head of the betting, and indeed was as short as 6-4 favourite last year, so if he has indeed landed the coveted role, the bookies will have been left shaken if not stirred.”
Other names suggested were Rocketman star Richard Madden, Cillian Murphy and Henry Cavill, who were all favourites for the position.
No Time To Die will hit cinema screens across the world in November (Image: PA)
It was announced in May this year by film production company B25, responsible for Bond, that No Time To Die was estimated to have cost more than 250 times more than the first film, Dr No.
Accounts released by the company suggest that the film is believed to have cost an estimated £200million.
The film could have cost bosses an extra £47m but production costs had been lowered due to a British tax scheme which lowered the costs.
The film was scheduled to hit screens in April but was delayed, with a statement reading: “MGM, Universal and Bond producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, announced today that after careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the global theatrical marketplace, the release of No Time To Die will be postponed until November 2020.”
No Time To Die is to be released in UK cinemas on November 12, with a US release on November 25.
Daily Star Online has approached Tom Hardy’s reps for comment.
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
