Cillian Murphy reportedly in the running to play James Bond

The Irish actor is frontrunner to win an Oscar this weekend.

Ever since the credits rolled on Daniel Craig’s final appearance as Bond in No Time To Die, the question over who will take on the legendary role has swirled around the world of film.

The likes of Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, Regé-Jean Page and Tom Holland have all been linked with the role, but we’re still none the wiser as to who the next person to be given a license to kill will be.

Well, there might be a new frontrunner for the role now, with Murphy reportedly in the running to be the next Bond.

According to the reports, the Irishman has impressed Bond producers with his critically acclaimed performance in Oppenheimer.

Murphy is the red-hot favourite to pick up the Oscar for Best Actor on Sunday, having already won a Bafta, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance as J. Robert Oppenheimer in the film.

A source told the Sun: “Cillian is the toast of Hollywood right now and this would be the ultimate role.

“This is a way to elevate the Bond franchise with an actor who is at the very top of his game.”

This isn’t the first time Murphy’s name has been linked to Ian Fleming’s character.

Clay Bunker, who featured alongside Murphy in Oppenheimer, reckons he would make a great Bond.

He said: “He would fare beau­tifully. It’s funny because Cillian is the nicest human but he has that dark side and there’s a darkness to Bond.

“We forget that sometimes Bond is like the character [Ian] Fleming created – a pretty dark character.

“He just happens to be on the side that we call good. Cillian has that ability to tap into that.”

However, don’t get your hopes up about a Bond decision anytime soon, even if it is more than two and a half years since the last film came out.

Back in 2022, Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson spoke about what they were looking for in the next actor to take on the role, but made it clear they wouldn’t be rushing the decision.