The wait is officially over as the next James Bond has finally been cast - with Jack Lowden's Slow Horses co-stars tipping him for the role.17:14, 08 Sep 2026Updated 17:15, 08 Sep 2026The wait is officially over as the next James Bond has finally been cast - meaning we’re much closer to an announcement. Writer Steven Knight confirmed that the next super spy was locked in.‌Following Daniel Craig’s 007 exit with the release of No Time To Die in 2021, all eyes have been on who will be stepping into his shoes, with every male actor in Hollywood seemingly linked to the role.‌Shortly after Gary Oldman claimed that the mystery man had been chosen, saying: "They have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”‌Aside from his efforts for the new Oasis documentary, Knight has been hard at work on penning the upcoming script. Appearing on the Today programme, he shared a titbit about his process.‌During a Radio 4 interview, the Peaky Blinders creator was questioned on whether he had written the blockbuster with the unnamed actor in mind, or based on the character.“It’s a bit of both,” he cryptically replied. “It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor.”Presenter Anna Foster tried to pry more information out of the Hollywood icon, asking: “So they told you at the beginning before you started writing, or do they tell you halfway through?”‌"I’ll refer you to my previous answer,” Steven laughed, before describing writing for the 007 universe as though he was “doing my duty for King and country.“The thing with Bond is it’s its own universe, and it’s its own franchise,” he added. “So there are certain rules. I mean, obviously you have to move it along, but I love where it sits. I love that it’s British. I love that it’s not DC or Marvel … So I feel a responsibility to the text.”A string of famous faces have been connected to the role in the wake of Daniel’s exit five years ago, including Idris Elba, Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy and Damson Idris.‌In recent weeks, Theo James - who was previously a frontrunner - ruled himself out of the race and claimed that he was ‘too old’ to take on the role.Jack was among the stars also said to be in contention and, while he has remained tight-lipped on the speculation, his Slow Horses co-stars didn’t quite get that memo.‌In fact, during a recent appearance on the Morning Show in Canada, Gary touched on the rumours and threw his support behind his castmate.“It’s been rumoured that [Lowden] is on the shortlist,” he declared. “We’re going to find out pretty soon, aren’t we? Because they have picked him. They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet. So my fingers are crossed for Jack.”Just yesterday, James Callis - who plays Claude Whelan in the Apple TV+ show - posted a picture of James on Instagram, with a very telling caption.‌“He doesn't need my blessing- But he's got it in spades. (Saved my life!- in the park.) #jacklowden @jack.lowden @jacklowden.fans - my word is my bond,” he penned.Jack’s wife, Saoirse Ronan, has previously thrown her own name in the ring to star as a Bond villain, and repeated this plea to Empire magazine a few weeks ago, vowing she was ‘dead serious’ about taking part.“I think it would be really interesting, having a young female villain,” she added. “Especially for girls and women, to see someone who can just take all that pent-up anger and direct it somewhere, there’s something interesting in that dramatically. So I would love to do more of that.”Article continues belowLike this story? For more of the latest showbiz news and gossip, follow Mirror Celebs on TikTok , Snapchat , Instagram , Twitter , Facebook , YouTube and Threads .