Many actors would jump at the chance to play James Bond. Theo James isn’t one of them.

Speculation over who will take on the role of the next 007 has been building for months and intensified further after Amazon MGM Studios announced in May that auditions had finally begun.

Theo James, 41, rules himself out of playing Bond because he's 'too old' – despite being 10 years younger than Daniel Craig in his final movie as 007 https://t.co/JJ79LIPVNd

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The name of Greek-origin actor Theo James had been consistently mentioned among the contenders. However, the star of Netflix’s hit series “The Gentlemen”, who is 41, now believes he is “definitely too old” for the part, despite Daniel Craig being 51 when he filmed his final outing as Bond.

Age, though, is not his only reservation. Speaking to GQ magazine, James said he considers the James Bond role “an example of a situation you can never come back from”. With James ruling himself out of contention, another name has emerged in recent weeks as the favourite to land the part. Jack Lowden is now regarded as one of the frontrunners, with 007 producers reportedly giving the “Slow Horses” star “very serious” consideration.

Theo James stuns for British GQ. 🎥 pic.twitter.com/IhaFRaoATs

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Presenter and author Richard Osman said recently on the podcast “The Rest Is Entertainment”: “Someone told me the other day with total confidence who the new Bond is, but that’s happened before. The name I’ve heard is Jack Lowden.” Osman was quick to clarify: “It’s certainly not a case of it being definitely his. But he is being very seriously considered. I think he’d be brilliant.”

He noted, however, that audiences are not necessarily the best judge of who should be cast. “If you look back at every James Bond ever chosen, not one of them would have been the public’s pick, with perhaps one exception,” Osman said, referring to Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond from 1995 to 2002. “You have to trust the producers to choose someone the public doesn’t yet know it wants. Daniel Craig certainly wouldn’t have been the public’s choice. At the time, people were furious about his casting,” he added.

Bond producer Amy Pascal gave an update on the audition process earlier this month, explaining: “We are moving forward in a very, very methodical way. Having worked alongside Barbara Broccoli at the studio, I have to say Daniel Craig is an extremely hard act to follow. And it has to be something genuinely different, something exciting, that shakes things up and stands out,” she added.