The fact that Daniel Craig’s final James Bond movie was called No Time to Die becomes increasingly ironic, thanks to the long and winding road the next 007 film has taken. 2025 has been a huge year for developments though, with Denis Villeneuve hired as Bond 26’s director and Peaky Blinders scribe Steven Knight on script duty. 

Of course, everyone is still wondering who the next face of Commander Bond will be, and Deadline’s ever informative Baz Bamigboye may have learned when that search shall begin. The regular columnist reportedly obtained these new details from unnamed sources, which set a slightly more solid timetable – and a shocking new requirement: 

Denis Villeneuve will embark on the search for an actor to play the world’s most famous fictional spy, James Bond, next year when he completes production on Dune: Part Three. Those familiar with the matter tell us that the director and his collaborators are seeking a “fresh face” to take on the 007 mantle in Bond 26.

Looks like my favorite candidate for Bond 26 has just gotten a leg up. While I’ve always been a fan of Henry Cavill, and have also entertained recent speculation surrounding the likes of Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, and Harris Dickinson – there’s one actor I think needs to seriously enter the conversation. And unless I’m mistaken, Patrick Gibson is still a pretty “fresh face” at the moment.

Patrick Gibson stands smirking at a resort, in sunglasses, for 007: First Light.

The Irish actor is already set to be the “next James Bond” in IO Interactive’s 007: First Light, has grown on me as a top candidate to slip into the tuxedo of destiny. We’ve now seen the star of the cancelled Dexter: Original Sin in action as a young 00-upstart through trailers for the 2026 video game – and I’m honestly impressed. (Though if you want to read more of my thoughts on the matter, a past feature of mine over at CinemaBlend will fill you in.)

Plus, as Baz Bamigboye’s report also states, “an actor who hails from the British isles” is also an important qualification. So if anyone really did think Austin Butler was going to be auditioning with scenes from Casino Royale any time soon, best to put that notion away now. Though I’ll leave you all with this final note of commentary from writer Steven Knight – also included in this rundown:

 Whoever it is, has to look like he could kill you with his bare hands in a trice. From the moment you see him, that has to be readily apparent.

As it stands Bond 26 looks to be on track for a 2028 release date, with key pieces falling into place at a pretty astounding rate. I’ll still hold out hope that James Bond will return sooner than that, but in the meantime this would be a good chance to catch up on Prime Video’s 007: Road to a Million Season 2 – which is currently streaming. For those of you looking to debate whether Patrick Gibson fits the bill, or to stump for your own “fresh face” of choice, that’s what the Comments section is for!

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