Harris Dickinson fuels Bond chatter as he teases next 007 and recalls on-set humiliation

Harris Dickinson has addressed persistent rumors that he could inherit the role of James Bond, telling The Sunday Times that the film's next installment is still some distance away and offering a coy nod to his name being considered among the favorites.

The 29-year-old actor has long been listed as a frontrunner to play the iconic British spy in the wake of Daniel Craig’s exit from No Time To Die in 2021. Bookmakers’ current shortlist includes high-profile names such as Henry Cavill, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James and Callum Turner, but Dickinson’s latest comments suggest the process remains open and uncertain. He also noted that his own schedule could influence any potential casting, saying, “That won’t start for a bit, will it? And I like a martini.” He added that he “can’t say, obviously,” before joking, “It’s Michael Caine.”

The conversation comes as Dickinson has also been the subject of questions about his own career trajectory, including a recent casting as John Lennon in Sam Mendes’ forthcoming quartet of Beatles biopics. The development has led some to wonder whether being tied to a major musical project might complicate or otherwise affect his Bond odds, though Dickinson did not directly connect those projects in his remarks. He emphasized that the Bond film’s development timeline remains fluid, leaving room for a wide array of contenders to emerge as producers navigate the franchise after Craig’s lengthy tenure as the spy.

In the same interview, Dickinson revisited a separate, longstanding note from his early career: a publicized incident in which he said a co-star humiliated him on set by mocking his working-class roots during a game in which cast members guessed who someone on set might be. The Times reported in 2023 that Dickinson described a fellow actor as old-school, middle- to upper-class, and prone to stereotypes about his background. He did not name the individual at the time, stating only that the person’s behavior left a mark as he was coming into his own as a young actor.

In The Sunday Times piece, Dickinson was asked about readers’ theories regarding who that unnamed co-star might be. He challenged the speculation and ruled out Ralph Fiennes, his co-star in The King’s Man, saying, “No, it’s not Ralph. Ralph’s a sweetheart.” When the conversation turned to the possibility that the actor could be Robert Lindsay—his Maleficent: Mistress of Evil co-star from 2019—the actor reacted with a candid, if flustered, response. He exclaimed that he had been “caught” while declining to reveal more, then refused to elaborate further. The exchange underscored how Dickinson has learned to navigate attention around both Bond chatter and past on-set dynamics, while remaining tight-lipped about specifics.

The two threads—Bond speculation and the on-set memory—reflect a broader pattern in Dickinson’s public profile: a young actor who has risen quickly on the strength of high-profile projects and a cautious approach to naming names or confirming rumors. His remarks come as studios, fans and bookmakers continue weighing a slate of possibilities for the next 007, with no official announcement yet signaling a definitive choice. Industry observers note that casting decisions for the Bond franchise are often folded into a broader strategic release plan, with producers balancing star power, franchise fit, and production timelines amid a changing landscape for big-budget action films.

As Dickinson’s public profile broadens—with high-profile film roles and now a landmark casting on the horizon—the conversation around Bond may intensify in the months ahead. However, at present, he has offered little beyond a knowing smile and a few guarded lines that keep fans guessing while affirming that the long road to redeploying 007 remains underway.

The public record remains clear on one point: no confirmation has been issued about who will don the tuxedo next, and Dickinson, for his part, appears determined to let the conversation unfold without tipping his hand. In the meantime, audiences can expect continued speculation, backed by bookmakers’ odds, interviews that tease but do not confirm, and the ever-present magnetism of a role that has defined generations of cinema.