Tom Holland’s chances of becoming the next James Bond have significantly shortened by bookmakers following his appearance in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster The Odyssey.
William Hill has cut the 30-year-old’s odds from 20/1 to 12/1 in their market for who will succeed Daniel Craig as 007.
The move comes as Mr Nolan’s £200 million epic continues to dominate cinemas, with Mr Holland starring as Telemachus alongside Matt Damon’s Odysseus in the director’s thirteenth feature film.
William Hill spokesperson Lee Phelps said: “It looks like Tom Holland’s role as Telemachus hasn’t gone unnoticed as he’s been cut into 12/1 to be the next Bond from 20/1.”
Tom Holland described his The Odyssey role as ‘one of the toughest jobs I’ve had’
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GETTYThe shift in betting comes despite Mr Holland’s performance in the film proving divisive among critics and audiences alike.
The Odyssey has established itself as the clear frontrunner for Best Picture at the 99th Academy Awards, installed at 4/6 by William Hill.
It sits well ahead of the concluding chapter of the Dune franchise at 6/1 and Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Digger at 9/1.
The bookmaker also rates Mr Nolan’s summer hit at even-money to become the UK’s biggest-grossing release of 2026, a title currently held by the Michael Jackson biopic Michael.
Mr Phelps said: “The Odyssey is proving an unstoppable force at the box office and has kick-started the Best Picture race for next year’s Oscars.
“At 4/6 to land the prized accolade Christopher Nolan certainly has another Oscar contender on his hands, following the success of Oppenheimer.”
He added: “It’s also even-money to be the UK’s highest-grossing film of the year.”
Mr Holland’s turn in the film has split opinion sharply, with several reviewers finding his performance too closely echoed his Marvel work.
William Hill has cut Tom Holland’s odds from 20/1 to 12/1 in their market for who will succeed Daniel Craig as 007
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GETTY
The Hollywood Reporter’s David Rooney suggested the casting was questionable, writing that Mr Holland resembles “Peter Parker in a tunic, sapping the gravitas from Telemachus’ path to maturity.”
The Financial Times’ Danny Leigh took particular issue with Holland’s use of modern speech in the ancient setting. “‘My dad’s coming back!’ Holland scowls, like a furious puppy,” he wrote, labelling the Spider-Man star “comic-book basic.”
The British actor’s decision to adopt an American accent for the role also drew widespread bewilderment from audiences on social media, with many questioning the choice.
Not all assessments were negative, however. Deadline’s Gregory Nussen praised it as “his strongest one to date,” adding that “Holland may be playing a child, but his performance is bursting with a newfound maturity.”
Holland himself acknowledged the scale of the challenge, having described the production as “one of the toughest jobs I’ve had.”