Four-time Academy Award nominee Saoirse Ronan has addressed persistent speculation that her husband, BAFTA nominee Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Dunkirk), is in line to succeed Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, downplaying the chatter after comments from Gary Oldman fueled industry buzz.
Speaking to the Associated Press, Ronan sidestepped questions regarding whether Lowden has entered official consideration for the 007 mantle. “Gary Oldman thinks [Lowden is] James Bond,” Ronan said, refraining from confirming or denying any studio discussions. “[That’s] its own thing. We’re kind of getting on with our life, to be honest. We have plenty of other things to be dealing with. So, yeah, it’s not really a subject that’s coming up in our house, to be honest. The dog needs to be walked, the dinner needs to be made — we’re most focused on that.” Ronan added that Lowden remains focused on production duties for Apple TV+’s critically acclaimed espionage drama Slow Horses, where he stars as River Cartwright.
Speculation surrounding Lowden intensified in September when Oldman, his Slow Horses co-star, suggested on Canada’s The Morning Show that the franchise’s creative team had already finalized their selection from a shortlist. Oldman later walked back those remarks during a panel appearance at the Toronto International Film Festival, clarifying that he possessed no proprietary casting intelligence and was simply voicing personal support for his co-star.
The casting dialogue comes as Amazon MGM Studios accelerates pre-production on its inaugural James Bond feature since securing full creative control over the property. Denis Villeneuve remains attached to helm the 26th installment, with Steven Knight writing the screenplay. While trade tracking and industry insiders have linked a wide crop of British performers to the role—including Lowden, Callum Turner, Harris Dickinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Holland, and Jacob Elordi—Amazon MGM has made no formal talent announcements.
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