The search for the next James Bond is something journalists and fans love to talk about endlessly, and the series producers have discussed the hunt for the next actor to play the British superspy.
The role has been vacated by Daniel Craig after a 15-year tenure that ended in last year's 'No Time To Die', and series producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have said the search for the new Bond is ongoing.
The producers have set out criteria for the next actor to fill the shoes of Bond, and said the role requires a significant time commitment.
"The thing is, it’s going to be a couple of years off,” Broccoli told Variety.
"When we cast Bond, it’s a 10 to 12-year commitment. So they're probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that."
"It was hard enough getting Daniel Craig to do it", Broccoli recalled, with Wilson adding "and he was in his early 30s at the time!"
Earlier this year, Broccoli stated that the next Bond should be a British male, of any ethnicity.
The bookies favourite Idris Elba was mentioned, with the producers saying that "he's great," and "we love Idris".
However, should Idris Elba take on the Bond mantle, he would become the oldest actor to occupy the role.
Roger Moore was 45 when he took up the role, and was 57 when his tenure ended with 'A View To A Kill' in 1985.
With the producers seeking an actor that can go the distance, it is unlikely Elba will take the role.
Elna stated in a recent interview that he "didn't see James Bond" when he looked in the mirror, which would indicate playing the spy isn't high on his wishlist.
Bond fans are well aware that just because bookies are offering great odds surrounding the franchise, it almost never translates to the finished product.
Clive Owen was seen as the overwhelming favourite to succeed Pierce Brosnan only to lose out to Daniel Craig.
British bookmaker William Hill suspended betting on Radiohead being chosen as the performer of the theme song for 2015's 'Spectre' after a £15,000 bet was placed only for Sam Smith to emerge as the artist chosen for theme song duties.
Most young actors, say Broccoli and Wilson, think they want to do Bond, but don’t fully comprehend the commitment of carrying a franchise across many years.
"A lot of people think, ‘Oh yeah, it’d be fun to do one,” Broccoli remarked, "well. that ain’t gonna work.”
They said the casting process is not just a matter of choosing an actor and hoping for the best, and they see it as an investment and a reinvention.
"That’s why, when people go, ‘Oh, who are you going to get?’ it’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention, and ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?’” Broccoli said.
"And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?"
Broccoli noted that Craig's version of the character did a lot to "crack Bond open emotionally," and she implied that the next Bond actor would need to come in with a new take on the character.
'No Time To Die' brought the Craig era to a close last year, becoming the highest-grossing film in Ireland and the UK last year, as well as scooping an Oscar for the Billie Eilish theme song.