Next James Bond Film: 10 Predictions For Post-Daniel Craig Era

The discussions about who will succeed Daniel Craig as 007 have been going on since before the release of Spectre six or seven years ago, but with the hunt for the new Bond apparently set to begin next year, many of the oft-repeated possibilities have simply aged out of the field.

And even looking at the most-cited recent suspects, it's entirely possible we're all looking in the wrong direction.

The obvious choices have been so thoroughly talked to death, more so than in the run-up to any other Bond being unveiled, that Barbara Broccoli and co. may choose to violently veer left and anoint the title of James Bond to someone wildly unexpected.

While it definitely won't be Harry Styles as many tabloids have suggested, and Broccoli has already ruled out a woman taking up the mantle, it's at this point highly possible 007 will instead be assumed by a rising theater or TV actor.

Few could've expected George Lazenby to win the part back in the day, and Daniel Craig's own selection was a shocking departure from hot favourites like Henry Cavill, Clive Owen, and Hugh Jackman, so there's certainly existing precedent for a total rug-pull.

Hell, don't entirely discount the rarely-discussed Dev Patel, whose fiery intensity would more than compensate for his slighter stature, even if the actor did recently state he wasn't much interested in playing the part. Money and prestige talk, though.