James Bond: Did Richard Madden just tease he’s being lined up to replace Daniel Craig?

He’s the 2-1 favourite to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, being joint with Tom Hiddleston. And while Richard Madden has regularly brushed off rumours he’s being lined up to replace the incumbent 007 after Bond 25, a recent interview may be a clue he secretly wants it. Speaking with Variety, the 32-year-old star was asked what he’d like to make next.

Madden replied: “I’d like to explore things that are a bit not Romeo.

“I’ve spent 10 years playing different versions of Romeo, from Robb Stark to literally playing Romeo twice onstage, once when I was 21, once when I was 30.

“I’ve played a lot of these good guys that bad things happen to, and Bodyguard was my first real experience of this moral space that isn’t so clean-cut as good guys and bad guys.

“I want to delve into that.”

Despite the encouragement from Egerton next to him, a bashful Madden was adamant it was nothing but speculation.

He said: “It’s very flattering to be involved in that conversation at all.

“But it’s all just talk and I’m sure next week it’ll be someone different.”

Daniel Craig returns in Bond 25, set for release in UK cinemas on April 3, 2020.