Daniel Craig is done playing James Bond. His 11-year stint as 007 is over and despite huge offers from the producers to continue, Craig would 'rather slit his wrists' than carry on as Bond.
That leaves a gaping hole in one of the most iconic roles in British cinema. So who is going to be the next James Bond?
Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have been mooted but, as yet, front-runners Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Michael Fassbender and Damian Lewis haven't given anything away to suggest they're going to fill Craig's almighty boots.
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Tom Hiddleston. Credit: Getty
Hiddleston may be the favourite, but there's another apparent front-runner you have almost certainly never heard of: Wayne Devlin.
"Who?", I hear you ask. Well, exactly. Who is Wayne Devlin and is he actually going to get one of the biggest jobs in the acting industry?
Well, a quick Google search will tell you Devlin is a 39-year-old actor from Manchester, rat pack singer and voice artist. His most notable roles were as a uniformed police officer in Peaky Blinders in 2014 and as a Nova Guard in Guardians of the Galaxy - both were uncredited, according to IMDb.
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Wayne Devlin. Credit: waynedevlin.com
Apparently, Devlin has already met with legendary Bond producer Barbara Broccoli a couple of times to discuss the role and according to a source close to Bond production company EON, Devlin is a method actor 'who has been described as not too dissimilar to the original Bond, Sean Connery, which they really like' - high praise indeed.
Now, this would be seriously bold from the Bond producers. It would be about as bold as Albert R. Broccoli's decision to cast George Lazenby as Bond back in the 60s after seeing him in a Big Fry advert and deciding he'd be a 'passable Bond'. And look how that turned out...
Sam Mendes, who has directed the last two Bond movies, has previously said that the next Bond 'will not be what you expect', which certainly adds credence to these rumours that Devlin is in talks to be the next Bond.
However, sorry to piss all over the parade, but a chat with the man himself will tell you it is all utter bollocks.
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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News, Devlin said: "It's not true - not unless they want a bald Bond, which I very much doubt.
"We have traced the source to a lad in America who follows me on Twitter.
"It's all very silly. I have been fielding e-mails from US journalists asking if I can confirm or deny the story."
It won't be so silly if you get the call from EON now, would it Wayne?
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We should try and get #DevlinForBond trending just to see how far we can get this already rubbished rumour to go. Or perhaps his candidacy will become so popular that they have no option but to offer him the role.
Words by George Pavlou
Featured image credit: WayneDevlin.com
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Tom Hiddleston, Manchester, Daniel Craig, James Bond