The Duke of Hastings could be getting a new title: 007.
At least, that's what betting firm Ladbrokes claims. Regé-Jean Page, 31, who stars as the eligible bachelor Simon Bassett on Netflix's new Shonda Rhimes series Bridgerton, increased his odds of becoming the next James Bond to 5/1, per Variety.
The news comes after Page himself fueled speculation that he was in the running for the role of the secret agent, who has been played by actor Daniel Craig since 2006's Casino Royale. On Dec. 16, the actor tweeted a video of his Bridgerton character, along with the caption "Regency, royalty. Shaken and stirred," which many saw as a nod to Bond's famous martini preference.
Fans totally agreed that Page would make the perfect spy.
One tweeted, "Watching Bridgerton and thinking that @regejean would make a brilliant new James Bond."
Another added, "If @regejean is the new James Bond... I'll actually watch a James Bond."
While one person pointed out that he may be a little young for the part, another fan responded, "He's 31, Craig was 38 on first Bond but I still think he's perfect for the role. Great age for reboot."
While Page, who also starred on the Rhimes series For the People, is certainly a new favorite to portray the iconic character, he's not the only person in the running.
While many Bond fans have long called for Idris Elba to nab the role, Ladbrokes representative Alex Apati told Variety, "Tom Hardy still leads the way as favorite, with James Norton close behind in second place. But it really is all to play for in the race for 007 and RJP has a great chance if the odds are anything to go by."
And Craig still has one more Bond movie to go. No Time to Die, the star's reported final film in the franchise, had its release date pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. It is now slated to be released in theaters on April 2.