Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page: ‘Betting suspended’ on new James Bond as actor leaves Netflix show

Fans are threatening to boycott series following actor’s departure

The James Bond rumours surrounding Regé-Jean Page have intensified so much that betting has been suspended.

According to Betway, members of the public are so convinced the actor will overtake Daniel Craig in the role that they are taking no more bets.

Betway spokesperson Chad Yeomans said: “Following the announcement that Regé-Jean Page has left his role as Simon Basset, the mysterious young suitor in Bridgerton, all betting on the next James Bond market has been suspended.

“Are we finally about to get the long awaited announcement on Daniel Craig’s replacement as the next James Bond?”

Page had risen in the odds following debut in the Netflix series, which premiered in December 2020. It swiftly became one of the streaming service’s most-watched shows of all time.

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However, earlier this month, it was revealed that the actor would not be returning for the second season, news that prompted many to threaten a boycott of the series.

While many highlighted that Julia Quinn’s source material for the second season centres on Lord Anthony Bridgerton (Jonathan Bailey) as opposed to Page’s character, others took his swift departure to mean that the actor had his eyes on other roles, namely Bond.

Page commented on the rumours in January, saying he was ‘flattered” by the association, but brushed them off by suggesting that any actor in the spotlight gets linked to the role.

He is now the odds-on favourite to be announced as the new 007, overtaking Tom Hardy and James Norton.

Craig will appear as the spy one final time in No Time to Die, which will be released in November after being delayed for 18 months due to the pandemic.

Bridgerton star Nicola Coughlan, who plays Penelope Featherington, reassured the show’s fans who were upset about Page’s departure, teasing what’s to come in season two.