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Daniel Craig’s fifth and final hurrah as James Bond is almost upon us, which means that there will soon be an “empty pair of suave spy shoes to fill”.

After No Time to Die debuts in theatres on October 8, we will all be left wondering who will be the next 007.

Betfair punters are guessing who could be the next big Bond, putting Tom Hardy in the lead, followed closely by Bridgerton‘s Regé-Jean Page, as well as Welsh heartthrob Luke Evans.

Fans are also wondering if Lashana Lynch, who is playing Nomi, the first female 00 agent in No Time To Die, could move on to become the first-ever female Bond.

Tatler has put together a list of the 10 hottest contenders, but we’ll just cover the top five.

1. Tom Hardy has odds of 13/8

Hardy’s name has apparently been the most frequently cited in Bond casting rumours.

He has action movies down pat (Mad Max: Fury Road and The Dark Knight Rises) and he can absolutely pull off a suit (Legend), so he would fair pretty well as the eighth Bond.

2. Regé-Jean Page has odds of 2/1

This British-Zimbabwean actor was in the Netflix hit Bridgerton, which had quite a few folks fanning themselves after watching him as the sexy Duke of Hastings.

63 million households were swooning, to be exact, which is proof enough that he has the power to carry a big movie franchise.

Since he will no longer be a part of Bridgerton, perhaps he has the time to be the first black 007.

3. Luke Evans has odds of 11/4

Since rising to fame from the West End stage, this Welsh heartthrob has been showing off his versatility in Hollywood.

He has appeared in popular movies like The Girl on the Train and The Hobbit, as well as critically acclaimed TV shows such as The Alienist and most recently Nine Perfect Strangers.

With charisma, a knack for showmanship, and abs that any spy would be proud to have, Evans has the potential to be an excellent 007.

Plus, he’s already said that he would ‘jump at the chance’.

4. James Norton has odds of 10/3

This English actor has been positively soaring in recent years, playing both romantic dreamboats (War and Peace) and sinister psychopaths (Happy Valley).

That means he has the ability to bring just enough complexity to step up onto the mantle as the next 007.

5. Sam Heughan has odds of 9/2

This Scottish actor/ producer/ author/ entrepreneur pulled many heartstrings with his role in the ever-popular historical drama Outlander.

He made his name as the rugged Highland warrior Jamie Fraser, showing that he has the stamina and strength to raise the heat in the Bond franchise.

Meanwhile, British-Jamaican actress Lynch’s odds of 6/1 put her in 10th place, tied with Jack Lowden and Richard Madden, which is pretty cool:

I vote for Lashana Lynch. She looks good as a Bond. Real good.

For the other contenders, head here.

[source:tatler]