Is Damian Lewis The Next James Bond?

Homeland star Damian Lewis might be replacing Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, according to British bookmaker William Hill.

“Bets have been placed on him succeeding Daniel Craig,” said a spokesperson to The Telegraph. “This is an unprecedented gamble, as for no apparent reason we have seen bets of up to £200 on Damian Lewis being named as the next Bond. This might well be significant.”

A spokesman from Betfair agreed, saying, “Damian Lewis hadn’t seen any interest in the betting until this weekend, but an absolute landslide in bets has forced us to cut the odds.”

Back in 2013, Lewis hinted at his desire to play the role, joking with The Telegraph that Skyfall had “paved the way perfectly for a red-headed Bond.”

Betfair added that Luther star Idris Elba was another front-runner for the role of 007. “Idris Elba looked like a foregone conclusion, but Damian Lewis has now thrown a huge spanner in the works.”

Additional contenders include X-Men stars James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender and Max Max actor Tom Hardy.