Daniel Craig's replacement as James Bond is expected to be announced in the coming months, and bosses have now confirmed the process is 'different'08:41, 07 Aug 2026The new James Bond is expected to be announced very soon, and bosses of the legendary franchise have promised that whoever takes the reins from the actor will be "different".‌Fans of the franchise, created by Ian Fleming, have spent five years wondering who will replace Daniel Craig, who stepped down after his fifth outing as 007 in No Time to Die, which also saw him act as co-producer.‌In recent years, speculation has been rife about who could slip into the iconic black tuxedo and get behind the wheel of Bond's Aston Martin. Most recently, Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson and Jacob Elordi have been placed at the forefront of speculation, but those in charge have remained quiet about their decision.‌That is, until now – Bond producer Amy Pascal has confirmed that the new spy is expected to be announced in the next few months."I would say the end of the year is a good bet," she said when asked for a timeline by Deadline. "We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow."‌Amy went on to say that the Amazon-owned company, MGM, which took over creative control from co-owner Barbara last year, had been taking things extremely seriously.She added: "And it's got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different."‌Previous Bond star, Trina Parks, who starred in Diamonds Are Forever, says that she wants Bond's female lead to "be on equal footing".Elsewhere, retired casting director Debbie McWilliams said in June this year that she wasn't too happy with the rumoured line-up. Speaking to The Independent, McWilliams who was responsible for casting Bond films for decades, said: "I don't want to see any of them as Bond because we now know so much about them."We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that's what spies are. We don't need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives. We never want to see him at home.‌"And a vital element of the whole thing is his job description. He's licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don't, then you've lost the audience."George Mackay, who has previously been tipped to take on the role has ruled out signing on the dotted line.‌MacKay told Variety: "I quite like the idea of a villain — maybe a one and done, chew the scenery a bit, come be part of it, get the best scenes and then get killed!" Sir Idris Elba has also ruled himself out of the running."It was never legit. It was always just a rumour," he said. In another interview with GQ, he said: "I've always felt that it's not a realistic thing. James Bond was written how he was written for a reason."But I was complimented by it. And also, I think, in realistic terms, some markets just don’t go for that. Bond is big all over the world. And [audiences] won’t [all] go for a Black male, an African male, playing Bond. That’s not what they like in their culture. Period.”Article continues belowThe first Bond film from Amazon MGM Studios, with Denis Villeneuve, known for the Dune films, as the director and Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight as the writer. The story will reportedly focus on the threat AI poses to security.Like this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.