Is ‘Bridgerton’s’ Regé-Jean Page Going to be the Next James Bond?

From duke to 007!

If you binge-watched Netflix’s Bridgerton in one sitting, you’re more than familiar with the dashing Regé-Jean Page.

Rumor has it that the breakout star made such an impression on audiences and executives that he’s in the running to be the next James Bond. 

British betting firm Ladbrokes has been closely watching 007 predictions in the U.K. ahead of the upcoming No Time to Die premiere, which marks Daniel Craig’s final run as the notorious agent. 

And Page is climbing the ranks! 

Since the Shondaland series premiere, Page’s odds jumped to 5/1 in the betting after previously being at 40/1 before Christmas.

While Page’s chances of snagging the coveted role are high, he isn’t the only one in the running. 

“Tom Hardy still leads the way as favorite, with James Norton close behind in second place. But it really is all to play for in the race for 007 and [Regé-Jean Page] has a great chance if the odds are anything to go by,” Ladbrokes rep Alex Apati told Variety. 

“What strengthens RJP’s chances somewhat more is that an announcement feels seemingly imminent [around] Daniel Craig’s replacement, so the timing of ‘Bridgerton’s’ success may well have worked in his favor,” Apati noted. 

https://twitter.com/regejean/status/1344451065903632384?s=20

Fans of the series were quick to “ship” the potential casting with many noting: “If @regejean is the new James Bond… I’ll actually watch a James Bond.”

However, not everyone was convinced with some noting that Page seems to young for the role of the MI6 agent. 

To put it in perspective, Page is 31 while Craig was 38 when he 38 when he starred in the first Bond film.

Page, who also starred in the short-lived For the People, plays Simon Basset, the charming Duke of Hastings in the first season of Shonda Rhimes’ breakout series for the streaming service. 

TVLine announced that Bridgerton is said to be Netflix’s fifth biggest original series launch of all time with a projected reach of 63 million households in the first four weeks of its debut. 

The next installment of the Bond franchise was delayed a year due to the COVID pandemic and is set to debut on April 2, 2021, so it’s likely a new Bond won’t be officially announced until then. 

But till then, we’re all keeping our fingers crossed for Page. 

Here’s the betting breakdown for the role:

Tom Hardy – 6/4
James Norton – 7/4
Idris Elba – 7/2
Regé-Jean Page – 5/1
Sam Heughan – 6/1
Richard Madden – 6/1
Jack Lowden – 8/1
Cillian Murphy – 10/1