Before Spectre hit theaters last November, most assumed that it would be Daniel Craig's last turn as James Bond. Eon Productions has never confirmed that Daniel Craig is leaving the franchise, but the actor has made a number of controversial remarks regarding this iconic character, and earlier this year, the actor's longtime friend Mark Strong even revealed that he thinks Daniel Craig has sipped his last vodka martini as the British super-spy. While we still don't have confirmation about Daniel Craig's franchise departure, Eon Productions may have already found a replacement, with a new report claiming the production company is in talks with Tom Hiddleston to take over as 007 in James Bond 25.

Tom Hiddleston has been one of several actors who have expressed their interest in taking over as 007, should Daniel Craig walk away from the franchise. Idris Elba has become a fan favorite choice, while Homeland star Damian Lewis has also emerged as a contender over the past few months. And just yesterday, it was rumored that Fantastic Four star Jamie Bell was meeting with producers. Even Jillian Anderson has thrown her name in the ring as a contender for the first female James Bond. However, no candidate has as much buzz as Tom Hiddleston, with a British bookmaker proclaiming him as the favorite, with 2-to-1 odds on the actor landing the role. Today's report from Birth.Movies.Death reveals that Tom Hiddleston is in "advanced talks" for the 007 role, but the site notes that an official offer has not been made quite yet.

The site claims that, while it's possible Daniel Craig has in fact officially left the franchise, it's also plausible that these talks with Tom Hiddleston are taking place, in order to produce a response from Daniel Craig. Earlier this month, two conflicting reports surfaced on the same day, with one claiming that the actor had turned down a whopping $100 million offer to return for two more movies, which includes endorsements, profit shares, and a co-producer credit. The other report claimed that the actor has yet to make up his mind whether or not to return as 007.

This report also reveals that, if Tom Hiddleston is in fact cast, he would be the first actor to share the same educational background as both the fictional character, and its creator, Ian Fleming. Both Tom Hiddleston and Ian Fleming attended Eton College, and it's established in the author's novels that James Bond himself is an Eton alum. Tom Hiddleston also recently starred in the AMC mini-series The Night Manager, which is set in the spy world.

Even if Tom Hiddleston does come aboard as 007 for James Bond 25, there are still several unanswered questions about the movie. For one, Sony's distribution deal with Eon Productions expired after the release of Spectre, with both Sony and Warner Bros. vying for the franchise's distribution rights. It also isn't known if director Sam Mendes will be back to direct his third Bond movie, after Skyfall and Spectre, but we'll have to wait and see. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates on this 007 casting saga.