--- title: "Lowden, MI5's River Cartwright on Slow Horses, leads the Bond odds at 62%" description: "Lowden plays an MI5 agent on Apple TV's Slow Horses, and he is the betting favorite for 007 while the Bond casting remains unannounced." url: https://tv-movies.skoop.news/lowden-turner-or-a-dark-horse-one-james-bond-casting-test-ha-6954b2/ published: 2026-10-24T23:38:57.603022-04:00 modified: 2026-10-24T23:38:57.603074-04:00 section: "TV & Movies" publisher: "skoop.news" language: en keywords: ["Bond", "Josh O'Connor", "Slow Horses", "Apple TV", "Gary Oldman", "Jack O'Connell", "Morning Show", "Lowden", "Turner", "BetOnline"] hashtags: ["#JoshOConnor", "#SlowHorses", "#AppleTV", "#Movie", "#movieclips"] image: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Daniel_Craig%2C_producer_Barbara_Broccoli%2C_actress_Naomie_Harris_and_actor_Christoph_Waltz_-_Film_Premiere_%22Spectre%22_007_%2822547549736%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled --- # Lowden, MI5's River Cartwright on Slow Horses, leads the Bond odds at 62% > Lowden plays an MI5 agent on Apple TV's Slow Horses, and he is the betting favorite for 007 while the Bond casting remains unannounced. Published 2026-10-24 · Updated 2026-10-24 · TV & Movies, [skoop.news](https://skoop.news/) ## In brief - Oddschecker reports that Lowden leads the Bond odds at 8/13, a 62% probability of landing the role. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) - Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman suggested that the filmmakers had already chosen Lowden, which intensified speculation about his chances. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) - Turner is described as looking like he might have been grown in a lab to play Bond. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) ## The favorite and the field Oddschecker reports that Lowden leads the Bond odds at 8/13, a 62% probability of landing the role. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) On Apple TV's Slow Horses, he plays MI5 agent River Cartwright. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) Turner follows with a reported 25% chance. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) Josh O'Connor takes third place at 13%. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) Other names linked to the role include Jack O'Connell, Richard Madden, Aaron Pierre, Jacob Elordi and Henry Cavill. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) Jack O'Connell and Josh O'Connor are also reportedly in the mix. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) There has been no official announcement regarding the James Bond casting. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) The Bond girl market has its own odds: per BetOnline, Margaret Qualley leads at 33%, followed by Sydney Sweeney at 25%. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) ## The Oldman nudge Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman suggested that the filmmakers had already chosen Lowden, which intensified speculation about his chances. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) In an interview last month with Canada's The Morning Show, a speaker said the filmmakers had made their choice but had not announced it yet. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) ## Why Turner is a double-edged pick Turner is described as looking like he might have been grown in a lab to play Bond. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) That is seen as the best thing about him as a choice, but also a potential detriment if producers want someone more original. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) ## A decade-long commitment The Bond actor must adhere to the highest professional standards for more than a decade, since the role is a massive commitment. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) Bond actors are expected to make a four-or-five-film commitment. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) A Bond film has a typical production process of nine months. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) Barbara Broccoli, who led the Bond producing team until last year, told Variety in 2022 that casting Bond is a 10-to-12-year commitment. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) She said not everybody wants to make that commitment, and that it is not just showing up for a couple of months of filming. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) ## What the producers want to avoid The ideal Bond actor should not sound off divisively about politics, get into messy domestic disputes, or start going on public benders. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) He should be an agreeable brand ambassador who treats fans respectfully and gamely takes part in the intense media circus that accompanies every Bond film. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) Casting history shows the risk. Cubby Broccoli said casting George Lazenby for 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service was his biggest mistake in 16 years. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) Lazenby made just one Bond film before Sean Connery returned to the role. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) Marvel's casting of Jonathan Majors in a multi-film villain role led to a scandal, and an announced movie was scrapped. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) ## What it means for you If you follow the Bond race, treat the odds as odds. Lowden sits at 62%, Turner at 25% and Josh O'Connor at 13%. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) Nothing is official, so an announcement is the thing to watch for. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) Gary Oldman's suggestion and the Morning Show remark that a choice has been made but not announced explain why speculation has grown. [[1]](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) If you want to see Lowden on screen now, he plays River Cartwright on Apple TV's Slow Horses. [[2]](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) ## Sources 1. [James Bond Casting Odds Give One Star the Edge Over Callum Turner & Jack O’Connell](https://www.mandatory.com/movies/1877583-james-bond-casting-odds-jacob-elordi-007-role) — Yahoo 2. [Lowden, Turner or a Dark Horse: One James Bond Casting Test Has Nothing to Do With Acting](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/james-bond-casting-test-lowden-turner-1236739203/) — The Hollywood Reporter Image: Photo: www.GlynLowe.com from Hamburg, Germany / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Daniel_Craig,_producer_Barbara_Broccoli,_actress_Naomie_Harris_and_actor_Christoph_Waltz_-_Film_Premiere_%22Spectre%22_007_(22547549736).jpg) --- Written from the sources above and checked twice (rules and an independent model) before publishing. How we work: https://skoop.news/how-we-work/ · Corrections: https://skoop.news/corrections/