Odds slashed for Peterborough actor to become the next James Bond

Pasqualino, who was born in the city, found fame due to his roles as Freddie McClair in Skins and d’Artagnan in the BBC TV series of The Musketeers.

Recently, he appeared in Netflix’s fantasy drama Shadow and Bone, the second series of which is much-anticipated.

Now though, the bookies have him in the running for one of the biggest parts in Hollywood.

Pasqualino has gone from the middle of the pack with the bookies, to one of the contenders in the top third to succeed Daniel Craig as James Bond.

William Hill now has him at 25-1 to play the famous spy, he has risen up the likelihood stakes in recent weeks alongside the likes of Dan Stevens, Riz Ahmed, Henry Golding and previous favourite, T’Nia Miller.

He was first linked with the role on online forums all the way back in 2017 as fans showed their support for the actor playing the ‘spy with a smile’, and has seen a resurgence in recent weeks as 007 fans anxiously await to see who’ll fill Daniel Craig’s shoes.

The star has been somewhat overlooked in the market after being overshadowed by favourites like Bridgerton’s Rege-Jean Page and Venom’s Tom Hardy - but at 25-1, he remains a key contender for taking on the role of the iconic superspy.

Speaking on the odds, a William Hill spokesperson said: “Although he may be lesser-known than some of the other names in the market, Luke Pasqualino is a good fit for the role, as he’s shown some serious diversity when switching between soaps and blockbuster films.”

The current frontrunner in the market is Man of Steel and The Witcher star Henry Cavill, who has seen his odds cut to 2-1 in the last week, followed by Bridgerton heartthrob Rege-Jean Page (11-4), and Luther legend Idris Elba (9-2).