James Bond: This Game of Thrones star is now HUGE favourite to replace Daniel Craig

Craig still has his licence to thrill, although he is stretching it out somewhat. The various delays over the past few years have meant the waiting list behind him keeps shifting. Idris Elba, it is sad to say, may just be aged out by the time Bond 25 is released and then a reasonable amount of time passes before any reboot. One leading favourite, though, has surged way ahead of everyone else. Winter may have come and gone but things are looking very sunny for this Brit.

Richard Madden has been a firm favourite for a while, but jostling with Tom Hiddleston, Tom Hardy and James Norton for the lead.

There have also been occasional nips at the heels from Adrian Turner and Jack Huston.

Suddenly there is a massive gap out at the front. Both Coral and Ladbrokes have cut their odds on the Scottish Game of Thrones star.

Do they know something we don’t? Has there been a rush of bets?

Coral has Richard Madden at 6-4 Richard Madden, with Tom Hiddleston and Idris Elba way behind in second at 5-1. James Norton is 6-1 while Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy tie on 8-1.

The bookies said; “Madden has proved very popular over the last few days to play the next 007 where many punters see the Bodyguard star as the perfect replacement for Daniel Craig.”

Ladbrokes, meanwhile, had Madden out there on 5-2, followed by Hiddleston on 4-1 and Elba on 5-1.

They said: “All eyes will soon be on who replaces Daniel Craig but the latest odds towards it being Madden; Richard Madden.”

Endless shaken and stirred puns aside, it could be a long slow wait to find out.

The production on Bond 25 has been hit with a succession of issues one it finally started filming. First Craig was injured during a preliminary stunt, needing a minor operation on his ankle. Then a stunt explosion misfired and caused damage at the London studios. A crew member on site needed medical treatment when he was hit by falling debris.

The movie is still aiming for the April 3, 2020, slot in the UK.