Richard Madden has seen his odds cut to 8-1 in the race to play the next James Bond.
The Elderslie-born actor, who attended the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow, is seen as a key contender for the south-after role, according to bookmaker William Hill.
William Hill have pit Madden up against fellow Scottish actor Ewan McGregor (66-1), following successful stints in popular TV series Game of Thrones, BBC series The Bodyguard, and recent Marvel Cinematic Universe instalment The Eternals.
Madden has notably avoided answering any questions related to him playing the new James Bond - which would make him the second Scottish star to do so, behind Sean Connery.
Speculation has been rife over the last few weeks as to who’s set to step into Daniel Craig’s iconic tuxedo after he walked away from the role with the release of No Time to Die last year - with Madden now within the top seven most likely stars to take over as 007.
The current frontrunner in the market is Superman and Witcher star Henry Cavill, who has seen his odds cut to 2-1 in the last week, followed by Bridgerton heartthrob Rege-Jean Page (11-4), and Luther legend Idris Elba (9-2).
Speaking on the odds, a William Hill spokesperson said: “It’s no surprise that Richard Madden is a good fit for the role, as his work on BBC’s The Bodyguard clearly showed that he’s no stranger to defending key figures against attack on behalf of his country.
“It’s also high time that we saw another Scottish Bond enter the foray - after all, 007 has a strong connection to Scotland based on Ian Fleming’s work, so why not have Madden pick up where Connery left off?”
Madden is also up against fellow Marvel alumni Tom Holland (14-1), Chiwetel Ejiofor (20-1) and Tom Hiddleston (20-1), although the recent shift in odds suggests that Madden could edge ahead of the likes of Tom Hardy (5-1) and Tom Hopper (10-1) for the role.
Perhaps a stand out pick outside of the top five favourites is Lashana Lynch who William Hill place at 7-1. This follows her role in the latest Bond instalment No Time To Die as agent Nomi - the inheritor of the 007 designation following James Bond’s previous retirement.
To see the full list of contenders for James Bond, click here
