Is Jack Lowden Really the Right Choice for James Bond?

Casting a new James Bond never lands quietly. Rumors ripple, faces are debated, and suddenly half the internet is an expert on jawlines and fighting styles. Charlie Higson, the writer known for Young Bond and one of the few authors authorized to expand Fleming's legacy, has added his voice to the chatter about who should inherit 007.

Higson was candid about one thing right away: he has no inside track on the casting decisions. He doesn’t know what Amazon and the producers will pick. What he does offer is an eye trained on the character, on what makes Bond feel believable in both a tuxedo and a brawl.

When asked about Jack Lowden, whose name has been floated repeatedly, Higson did not dismiss him. He said, I like him, but I am not sure. Short sentence. He then drew a practical comparison to earlier casting conversations, noting that Lowden, unlike some contenders, does not read immediately as a hand-to-hand scrapper. That matters, Higson argued, because part of Bond’s credibility rests on the sense that he can handle himself when things get physical.

There was nuance in the critique. Higson pointed to Daniel Craig as a useful yardstick, saying you could believe Craig could rough someone up in a fight. That physical believability, he suggested, is not just about bulk or age, but about a presence that sells danger and stamina in close combat.

On other names in the mix, Higson sounded more accepting. Callum Turner, he said, wears an unconventional look and that can be an asset rather than a liability. Jacob Elordi, the Australian, struck him as simply a touch too tall. And while the roster includes both established faces and rising actors — Lowden and Turner at 36, Harris Dickinson at 30, Elordi 29, and Jack Barton around 31 — Higson emphasized that casting is rarely just a numbers game.

Meanwhile, Bond 26 is creeping into production reality. Denis Villeneuve is attached as director and will be working with Amazon. Steven Knight has reportedly completed a first draft of the screenplay. Villeneuve is expected to pivot full-time to Bond once Dune: Part Three arrives in December 2026, which feeds speculation that the franchise could return to cinemas around 2028, though no official release date has been announced.

Higson raised the real questions producers face: will they opt for a much younger Bond, a familiar name, or someone unexpected? Will the next iteration lean into the bruising, physical Bond that Craig embodied, or will the filmmakers rethink the balance between charm, menace, and muscle? No one outside the inner circle knows for sure, and that uncertainty is part of the thrill.

Casting is theatre as much as it is calculation. The choice will tell us which direction the franchise wants to move. And whichever actor steps into those shoes will spend years shaping what Bond means to a new generation, so the conversation matters far beyond a single announcement.