James Bond 25: 6 Biggest Rumours You Need To Know

You can't keep a good hero down when there's a tonne of cash involved, and that's certainly been the case for James Bond over the years.

Although 007's 25th mission is yet to be finalised, we've always been able to count on the super spy returning for another helping of guns, gadgetry and gargantuan action sequences, so the rumour mill is already churning away.

Daniel Craig became the sixth official incarnation of Bond when he slipped into the tux and took up the Walther PPK for the first time in 2006's Casino Royale.

Craig has succeeded in bringing more emotional depth to the role throughout his four outings, introducing us to a grittier version of the 00 Agent for the modern age.

He was last seen facing off against Christoph Waltz's Blofeld in 2015's Spectre, and while there's no official world about future Bond outings, we don't need a mid-credits scene followed by a post-credits stinger to tell us that James Bond will be back.

Details of his next assignment may be locked up tight in an MI6 vault, but tidbits from the dossier appear to have already trickled in.

At one point it didn't look like it was on the cards, but never say never again with regard to a possible Daniel Craig return.

Potential replacements for Craig have been bandied about since Spectre's aftermath - from Tom Hiddleston to Tom Hardy - but recasting the role no longer seems necessary.

According to The Independent newspaper, franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has “secured” the actor's services for a least one additional sequel - let's just hope this one is more Skyfall and less Quantum of Solace.

Apparently Broccoli wasn't keen on Hiddleston as the next Bond as she deemed the Avengers star “too smug and not tough enough”. Ouch!

Elsewhere, bookmakers have slashed the odds of a female being cast as James Bond (Jasmine Bond?) in the future after Jodie Whittaker secured the role of Doctor Who, but those are rumours for another sequel.