London, UK - Before Christmas, most people had never heard of Regé-Jean Page , but the worldwide success of the Netflix drama Bridgerton has sent his star soaring. Now, the Zimbabwean-British actor is said to be in the running to be the next James Bond.

The search for a new Bond has been a hot topic for 007 fans ever since Daniel Craig (52) announced that the upcoming movie would be his last appearance as the British spy.

According to the bookies at the UK-based betting company Ladbrookes, Regé-Jean is now among the front-runners to replace Craig. The odds right now are as low as 5/1, having been 40/1 before Christmas.

The 31-year-old Netflix heartthrob's chances are only surpassed by Tom Hardy (43) and James Norton (35).

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The news comes after the monumental success of the Regency-era drama Bridgerton, in which Page stars as Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings, who catches the attention of Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynevor) in London. Partly owing to the couple's steamy relationship, the series has been streamed by more than 63 million in the four weeks following its release.

Page had previously only played minor roles in films and shows, but fans quickly spotted Page in the first installment of the two-part final Harry Potter movie, in which he appeared in an uncredited role.

The star of the hit series kicked off the rumor himself that he might be in line to portray Britain's most famous secret agent when he posted a promo message for Bridgerton's premiere last month. "Regency, royalty. Shaken and stirred," he wrote, referencing one of Bond’s classic catchphrases.