Following the recent rumor that Mad Max: Fury Road star, Tom Hardy, will be taking over from Daniel Craig as Ian Fleming's 007, bookies have suspended betting on the next James Bond market, with Hardy now the bookies' favourite. Since the rumor first began to circulate, Hardy's odds have gone from 6/1 to 1/1, with Hardy attracting 54% of all bets in the 24 hours before the market was suspended. This does not necessarily mean that Hardy's takeover is a done deal, but it certainly gives the rumor some traction.

The rumor that Tom Hardy has been chosen to become Daniel Craig's successor after No Time to Die hit the internet a few days ago, with the Oscar-nominated actor reportedly winning the role of back in June after a successful audition. Allegedly, the plan was to make the casting announcement following the release of No Time to Die, but due to delays this was put on the back burner, with insiders now claiming that the announcement won't be made until next year.

Tom Hardy has been a James Bond favorite for some time, with the actor's odds recently jumping to a healthy 8/1, an improvement from this time last year. He has also been a top choice of Bond fans alongside the likes of Idris Elba and Outlander star Sam Heughan. Of course, nothing has been confirmed yet, but if Hardy does become the next actor to don the famous 007 tux, he would be something of a surprising choice. Historically, the role of Bond is not usually given to such recognizable actors, with the part instead given to lesser known talent who are shot to the A-list thanks to being associated with the world-famous franchise. Hardy is also much older than actors usually are when they first enter the martini-swigging world of Bond.

The Venom star has commented on potentially taking over as 007 in the past, preferring not to comment rather than end up saying too much. "If I mention it, it's gone," the actor said. "You know, there's a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting, and in the fellowship of my peer group, that if you talk about it you're automatically out of the race. So I can't possibly comment on that one!"

Before anyone new becomes Bond though, we still have yet to see Daniel Craig as the iconic character for the fifth and final time in the upcoming No Time to Die. Picking up five years after the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, James Bond has now left active service until he is approached by Felix Leiter, his friend, and a CIA officer, who enlists his help in the search for Valdo Obruchev, a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent that Obruchev was abducted, Bond must confront a danger the likes of which the world has never seen before.

No Time to Die is directed by Beasts of No Nation's Cary Joji Fukunaga from a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge. Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes reprise their roles from previous films, with Rami Malek and Lashana Lynch joining the main cast. No Time to Die has been delayed several times due to the ongoing global circumstances, with rumors currently abound that it may be delayed again. For now, the movie is scheduled for release on 12 November in the United Kingdom and on 25 November in the United States, with a recent poster sticking to the November release. This comes to us from Oddschecker.