Damian Lewis tipped to replace Daniel Craig as Bond

With Daniel Craig rumoured to be dropping the 007 moniker after SPECTRE later this year, speculation has been flying fast. According to bookies William Hill, Idris Elba is still the main contender for the role – and would be the first black actor to play Bond, if he gets it – with odds of 5/2, but Lewis now apparently has odds of 3/1, a massive shot up – and William Hill are as flummoxed as we are for the sudden spike in Lewis’ favour. ‘This is an unprecedented gamble, as for no apparent reason we have seen bets of up to £200 on Damian Lewis being named as the next Bond. This might well be significant,’ spokesperson for William Hill Rupert Adams declared.

The other main contenders for the role include Tom Hardy, Henry Cavilll, and Michael Fassbender – but the Homeland and Band of Brothers actor Lewis would be a natural next step in the big screen evolution of Bond, since it was revealed in Skyfall (and continued in SPECTRE) that the spy has a Scottish heritage; a red-headed Bond wouldn’t be such a surprise.