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U.K. Bookies Think Damian Lewis Has a Solid Shot at Becoming the Next James Bond

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Damian Lewis. Photo: Chris Jackson/2015 Getty Images

A U.K. bookmaker has dramatically slashed Homeland badass Damian Lewis’s odds of becoming the next James Bond, according to reports. A spokesperson from William Hill revealed this week that Lewis’s price had gone from 25:1 to 3:1 to 6:4, making him a bettors’ darling as well as the king of the castle. “This is an unprecedented gamble, as for no apparent reason we have seen bets of up to £200 [$312] on Damian Lewis being named as the next Bond,” the spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter. “This could well be significant and might herald the end of Daniel Craig as the world’s most famous spy.” The Guardian notes that Craig could be signed on for one more Bond pic after Spectre, but he might duck out early if this latest film goes big like Skyfall. In terms of replacement speculation, the inexplicable surge of large bets has catapulted Lewis ahead of other such potential contenders as Idris Elba (5:2), Tom Hardy (4:1), Henry Cavill (5:1), and Michael Fassbender (7:1). (The old faux favorite was Elba, but he has been notably brushing off the speculation. Who knows — maybe Lewis will embrace it and fulfill the bookies’ prophecy.)

U.K. Bookies Think Damian Lewis Has Shot at Bond