Shogun star Cosmo Jarvis responds to claims he will be the next James Bond

Several actors have been in the running to take over the role of British spy

Shogun star Cosmo Jarvis has responded to claims he will be the next person to play James Bond in the blockbuster franchise.

After Daniel Craig, 56, announced he would be retiring after appearing in No Time to Die in 2021, a number of actors have been rumoured to replace him in the iconic role, including Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and the favourite to replace him, Aaron-Taylor Johnson.

Among them is the unlikely Jarvis, 35, who plays the first western Samurai in the critically-acclaimed drama set in Imperial Japan, Shogun.

The programme won big at the Golden Globes on Monday (6 January) winning all categories in which it was nominated including the prestigious Best Television Drama Series, Best Actor and Best Actress in a Television Series for first-time winners Hiroyuki Sanada and Anna Sawai, and Best Supporting Actor in Television for Tadanobu Asano.

Asked whether he had any response to rumours that he was in contention to play the British spy, Jarvis stuttered as he replied: “I don’t know how to construct a…” according to Deadline.

He then added, “I wish them all the best in their search”, as he shut down the speculation.

Craig had the longest continuous reign as the lead in the movie franchise based on the novels first released by Ian Fleming in 1953. The story was adapted for the big screen in 1962, with Sean Connery being the first to star as the protagonist in Dr No.

Jarvis shut down rumours that he would be the next James Bond (AFP via Getty Images)

He starred in five films, starting with Casino Royale in 2006. He then played the famous spy in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and announced he would be retiring after appearing in No Time To Die in 2021.

The actor gave a hilariously brutal response to questions about who would serve as his replacement earlier this year.

“If you were to pass the James Bond torch, who would you love to see play him?”, he was asked in an interview with Variety.

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He responded, “I don’t care.”

Taylor-Johnson, 33, was first rumoured for the role in January 2023 after it was reported that producer Barbara Broccoli had been left impressed by a screen test with the actor, whose credits include Kick-Ass, Bullet Train and Nowhere Boy.