Inside Amazon’s Search for the Next James Bond: the Superhero, The A-Lister and the Nobody

The quest to find the next James Bond is currently in full swing.

Sources tell Star that Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson are all in the running to score the coveted role of 007 in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming film — and they’ve all got unique qualities to offer.

In 2022, Holland, 29, revealed to Variety that he had pitched a “young Bond film” to Sony, admitting at the time, “I don’t think the Bond estate [was] particularly interested.”

However, despite his initial idea falling on deaf ears, with the project being in Amazon’s control now, there’s a good chance the MCU fan favorite could step into the British Secret Service agent’s shoes.

Not only does he have Amy Pascal — who served as a producer in 2017’s Spider-Man: Homecoming and who will also produce the new James Bond flick — in his corner, but he’s also got a lot of “gravitas” when it involves speaking in “his native British accent,” one source tells Star.

The Uncharted actor “is not afraid to test himself and put himself on video and try wild, risky, different takes on a role. He’s a big believer in trial and error,” the source says. “If he gets Bond, it will be because he already put in the work behind the scenes.”

“Tom has been patiently watching the James Bond situation for a couple of years now, and to his credit, the opportunity has emerged pretty organically,” a second source explains. “He’s always wanted the job, but he was careful not to campaign for it. That is the strategy he used to get Spider-Man, and he’s running that same playbook again.”

On August 1, Holland reiterated his desire to take on the role of 007, telling Gordon Ramsay during an appearance on the chef’s YouTube show that playing Bond is “the pinnacle of working in our industry.”

Still, that doesn’t mean he’s a shoe-in: Elordi, 28, is also being considered for the gig.

“Jacob clearly has the edge in terms of physicality, the muscles, and his deep, commanding voice,” the second source tells Star. “The guy is huge, almost a foot taller than Tom, he’s classically handsome, he has an air of mystery that Tom lacks, and he’s been embraced by Hollywood for his brainy and eclectic taste in projects and directors.”

According to Variety, the team behind the film are eyeing rising star Dickinson — who will portray John Lennon in The Beatles: A Four-Film Cinematic Event — too.

Adding fuel to the fire is alleged personal friction between Elordi and Holland.

According to E! News, the Saltburn actor was photographed on vacation with Euphoria costar Zendaya in Greece in 2019. The Challengers actress, 28, and Holland — who have been linked since 2017 — got engaged over the holidays at the end of 2024.

With both actors vying for the role, it’s become “a more interesting showdown,” adds the second source. “Make no mistake, Tom wants the part — but he’s going to have to mow down Jacob to get it, and that’s no easy task!”