James Bond: Tom Hardy dominates betting in race for new 007 – Will he BEAT James Norton?

James Bond fans are keen to find out who will be replacing Daniel Craig when the 007 stalwart steps down from the role after No Time To Die. While franchise bosses have been keeping quiet about who will take his place, fans having been casting their votes in the form of bets and it appears Tom Hardy is one of the most popular.

According to Ladbrokes, 40 per cent of all bets placed on the next Bond this month have been in favour of the Peaky Blinders actor.

This is thanks in large part to a “mega flurry” in the past week.

Earlier this month, Hardy was down the list priced at 8/1 to take over from Craig.

However, a surge in popularity saw his odds cut to 6/1 and then again to 5/1.

Meanwhile, Outlander star Sam Heughan looks to have edged Richard Madden out of the running for now, soaring back up to the top of the betting to regain his position as a frontrunner.

The Scot is now priced at 3/1 behind James Norton, who is in pole position at 2/1 to get the 007 job.

Bodyguard actor Madden has drifted to 7/2, leaving Hardy in third place as it stands.

It seems as though the familiarity of Hardy’s name in the race to be the new Bond is making him a popular bet with punters once again.

But a stellar plot pitched to him by franchise boss Barbara Broccoli brought him back for a final round in No Time To Die.

This time, though, he has said he truly is leaving 007 behind, meaning there will soon be an opening for a new actor to take his place as the next Bond.

While his era is to come to a close with No Time To Die, Craig’s tenure has been extended by seven months due to the release being delayed because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Bosses made the decision to push it back as cinemas all around the world were forced to close their doors as countries made moves to socially distance or lock down.

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