Cillian Murphy is the latest actor to have his odds slashed in the race to become James Bond.
Tom Hardy is currently the favourite to inherit Daniel Craig’s blood-splattered tux, but a recent surge of surprising bets on the Irish Peaky Blinder’s star, 42, has put him firmly in the running.
According to OddsChecker, 72 per cent of all Bond bets have been placed on Murphy. Three months ago his odds stood at an unlikely 125/1, but now they’ve dropped to 12/1.
"The next James Bond market is immensely popular with punters, and is only matched by the next Arsenal manager market for longevity," said OddsChecker
"The Irishman is the darling of the Great British public at the moment, and that's replicated in who people want as their next heartthrob to play the prestigious role."
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"With the amount of attention we're seeing on Murphy, bookies have had to respond, and his chances of becoming the famous secret agent are increasing more and more by the minute."
It’s not a bad bet, following news that Danny Boyle is in talks to get involved with the 007 franchise. The two have collaborated in the past in 28 Days Later and Sunshine.
But the smart money is still on Tom Hardy and McMafia star James Norton, who both stand at 3/1 – although Norton has previously warned everybody to “keep you money in your pockets”.
