The role of James Bond is among the most coveted parts in Hollywood, but there’s one actor who wouldn’t touch it with a barge pole.

Theo James, star of The Gentlemen and The White Lotus, is the latest to rule himself out of Hollywood’s most talked-about race.

In a new interview with GQ, the 41-year-old called himself “too old” to don the famous tuxedo, and suggested he wouldn’t want the part even if it were to be offered to him.

“I’m definitely too old now, for one,” he said. “But yeah, that would be an example of a place you could never come back from.”

It is true that actors who pay the part are tied to the franchise for several years. Daniel Craig, for example, played Bond in five movies across 15 years, from 2006 to 2021. Before him, it was Pierce Brosnan behind the wheel of the Aston Martin, where he remained for four films over seven years from 1995 to 2002.

In 2022, longtime franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, reiterated the importance of finding an actor willing to stay in the role. “When we cast Bond, it’s a 10 to 12 year commitment,” said Broccoli.

While the duo have since handed over the reins to Amazon MGM in a sale that took place in February, chances are casting director Nina Gold is still searching for an actor who is willing to give up at least a decade of their career to playing Ian Fleming’s dashing spy.

Beyond simply the time commitment, James appeared also to be addressing the lifelong association that any actor who plays Bond will inevitably have with the character.

There are plenty of other actors who are reportedly eyeing up the role, including The Capture star Callum Turner – though he kept remarkably schtum when he was recently asked about the rumours.

Alongside names such as Euphoria’s Jacob Elordi and Slow Horses’ Jack Lowden, Turner is said to be one of the actors that casting director Nina Gold has her eye on since she began her search in May.

The actor – who married pop star Dua Lipa in a lavish Italian ceremony in June – kept to the party line, repeating “I’m not going to comment on that” when pressed by the interviewer.

At least Turner has proven that he possesses Bond’s famed ability to stay silent under pressure.

Meanwhile, Richard Osman is convinced someone else has nabbed the part. The podcaster and author claimed he heard Slow Horses star Jack Lowden is “being strongly considered”.

“It is definitively not a ‘he’s definitely got it’ thing. He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he'd be amazing,” said Osman on The Rest is Entertainment.

Fans of the spy franchise have been waiting years for the announcement of the next Bond, ever since Craig’s swan song in 2021’s No Time To Die. They will have to wait a little longer still, with producer Amy Pascal revealing earlier this month that they are likely to have a name by the end of the year.

“I would say the end of the year is a good bet,” Pascal said. “We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.”

She added that MGM – the Amazon-owned company that took creative control over the franchise from co-owner Broccoli last year – are taking the process very seriously.

“And it’s got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different,” Pascal said.

The next Bond film is set to be directed by Dune’s Denis Villeneuve, with Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight penning the script.