Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult have reportedly screen-tested for James Bond, bringing two actors already attached to major superhero franchises into the search for Daniel Craig’s successor.
The Hollywood Reporter first reported Pattinson’s involvement on November 6, citing multiple sources. The tests reportedly took place over the weekend of October 24.
Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment on the casting reports. Neither actor has been announced as the next 007.
Craig played Bond in five films, beginning with Casino Royale in 2006 and concluding with No Time to Die in 2021. The next installment will introduce the character’s first new leading actor in two decades.
Pattinson and Hoult Previously Competed to Play Batman
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Pattinson, 40, already has another Bruce Wayne performance on his schedule. TheWrap, which independently reported his Bond test, said The Batman Part II was due to resume production in London.
Hoult, 36, was a finalist for the Batman role before Matt Reeves selected Pattinson for the 2022 film. He subsequently joined James Gunn’s Superman as Lex Luthor, making the reported Bond search another occasion when the two actors have competed for a major franchise lead.
Pattinson became internationally known through the Twilight films, while Hoult played Beast across several X-Men movies.
Turner, Lowden and O’Connor Have Also Been Linked to the Role
The reported contenders also include Callum Turner, known for Masters of the Air; Slow Horses actor Jack Lowden; and Josh O’Connor, whose credits include Challengers and The Crown.
O’Connor addressed the speculation during a BBC interview reported by RTÉ on November 3. Speaking at the opening of an education and community center in Cheltenham, he described being considered for Bond as an extraordinary experience but did not confirm whether he had auditioned.
Former 007 Pierce Brosnan discussed the contenders in a November 3 interview with Vanity Fair. “Callum is someone I’ve worked with, and he’s so strong,” he said of Turner, his costar in The Only Living Boy in New York.
Pattinson Has Already Worked With Bond Director Denis Villeneuve
Pattinson recently worked with Denis Villeneuve, the director attached to the next Bond film, on Dune: Part Three. He plays Scytale, a shapeshifting figure involved in the struggle surrounding Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides.
At a March trailer-launch event covered by Variety, Pattinson recalled asking Zendaya how he could get into a Dune movie while they were working together on The Drama. The call offering him an opportunity came months later. “Everybody wants to work with Denis, he’s a master,” Pattinson said.
Warner Bros. released the final trailer on October 27. The film, which concludes Villeneuve’s trilogy, opens in North American theaters on December 18, according to Warner Bros. Its cast also includes Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javier Bardem and Jason Momoa.
The Next Bond Film Has a New Creative Team
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is writing the screenplay, with Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. Tanya Lapointe will serve as executive producer, according to Amazon MGM Studios.
The project will be the first Bond movie made under Amazon MGM’s creative control. The studio announced its joint venture with longtime franchise custodians Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson in February 2025, with the transaction closing the following month.