London, UK - Speculation about the successor to Daniel Craig as British secret agent James Bond continues to gather pace, and now, a new name has emerged – and it's one who could fundamentally change the film series.

Louis Partridge, who is just 22 years old, could therefore become the youngest 007 of all time, should he actually get the job.

As Variety reported, the Brit is indeed on the shortlist of candidates to succeed Bond and has a real chance of landing the role of the world's most famous secret agent.

Many industry insiders are also certain that the new 007 will be significantly younger than his predecessors, which has further fueled speculation about Partridge.

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The rising actor, who dated pop star Olivia Rodrigo between 2023 and 2025, is best known as Lord Tewkesbury in Netflix's Enola Holmes movies starring Millie Bobby Brown.

Partridge was last seen in the historical drama House of Guinness. The series was created by filmmaker Steven Knight, who has also been hired as screenwriter for the upcoming James Bond film. A possible clue?

At the very least, Partridge is said to have already hinted at an interest in the legendary role in the past.

The last James Bond film, No Time to Die, hit theaters in 2021. Since then, there has been wild speculation about who will succeed 58-year-old Daniel Craig.

Callum Turner (36), Aaron Taylor-Johnson (35), Josh O'Connor (35), Jacob Elordi (28), Idris Elba (53), or Henry Cavill (42) – the list of potential candidates just keeps growing.

However, Amazon has the final say when it comes to casting the world-famous role.

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Thanks to the takeover of film studio MGM in 2022 and a final agreement in early 2025, the company has gained complete creative control over the James Bond franchise.

Regardless of who wins the race in the end, fans will probably have to pack their patience: the new film is not expected to be released until 2028.