Tom Hiddleston announced his candidacy in the unofficial “race” to become the next James Bond.
Speaking to The Sunday Times , Hiddleston said he’s a “huge fan” of the series, including the Daniel Craig-era films, and described the role as an “extraordinary opportunity.”
“We all went to see Spectre when we were shooting Skull Island in Hawaii,” Hiddleston said, speaking of the King Kong property he’s set to star in. “I simply love the theme tune, the tropes and the mythology. I love the whole thing.”
Meanwhile, the future of the 007 franchise is currently in flux. The assumption has been that the most recent Bond film, Spectre, would be Daniel Craig’s last in the role. (In 2015, he said he’d rather “slash his wrists” than make another.) At the same time, Craig rolled those comments back and, according to Entertainment Weekly, hasn’t ruled out making another film.
Meanwhile, bookmakers in the U.K. have been taking bets on who would take over for Craig since last year. One of the initial frontrunners, Idris Elba, prompted a veto from 007 novel author Anthony Horowitz, followed by lots of love from the internet. As of Monday, the odds favor Tom Hardy, followed by Elba and Billions star Damian Lewis, who said he would be interested in playing Bond back in 2013. Online bookmaker Paddy Power gave Hiddleston 10/1 odds.