A much-loved Irish actor has been 'tipped as next James Bond villain' in the hotly-anticipated next instalment.

Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy, 49, is currently leading the pack of odds at 9/2. 

The actor is well-known for his role as Thomas Shelby in BBC's Peaky Blinders. 

The Oppenheimer star, who previously said he was 'too old' to play the iconic spy, could be a contender for Bond's next adversary in the popular action-packed saga.

Bookmaker expert Jake Ashton said: 'The villain role in Bond movies is just as iconic as Bond himself.

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'With Cillian Murphy at the height of his powers and trusted by major directors, he's a natural favourite.' 

Also in the running for the part are American actor Paul Giamatti (11/2), The Boogeyman star David Dastmalchian (13/2), and unlikely contender Zendaya (7/1). 

Despite 'usually playing the good guy' in her previous roles, the female actress told Elle in 2023 that she's ready to enter her villainous era. 

'I would love to play a villain of sorts,' the 28-year-old said. 

'Tap into the evil, supervillain vibes. Whatever that manifests in, I don't think necessarily in a superhero sense, I just mean in like an emotional sense. 

'I feel like I usually play the good guy, so I'd like to play the bad guy.' 

No Time To Die saw Rami Malek stars as its lead antagonist Lyutsifer Safin, a terrorist chief and scientist driven by a desire to dismantle the criminal group SPECTRE.

Before him A-lister Christoph Waltz starred as the villain in Spectre and Javier Bardem played Raoul Silva in Skyfall, an antagonist described as 'up there with the great' Bond baddies.

After Daniel Craig's James Bond died at the end of No Time To Die, speculation has been rife as to how the next film will begin. 

As The Daily Mail reported, the plan is for the new Bond to be a 'straight up' reboot.

Film-lovers have been patiently waiting to find out when the new 007 movie will be released since Daniel Craig finished his five film stint as the British spy with No Time To Die.

The 2021 movie was the last spearheaded by Bond producer of 30 years Barbara Broccoli and her brother Michael G. Wilson after Amazon took over 'creative control' of the much-loved franchise. 

British fan favourites Aaron-Taylor Johnson and Henry Cavill have been linked to the role, while The White Lotus actor Theo James emerged as the latest bookies' favourite last month.

Now, betting companies have released their odds for the next villain - with one unexpected household name topping the list.

There is reportedly set to be no explanation of how the special agent is still alive, no multiverse of Bonds and no attempt to go back to the 1960s for a vintage Bond.

Barbara Broccoli's choice for Bond was thought to be Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who was once favourite for the role, but Heyman and Pascal are likely to want to choose their own 007. 

Theo James currently sits at favourite for the part at 3/1, ahead of Superman actor Cavill (3/1), Taylor-Johnson (7/2) and Jack Lowden (12/1) from Mary Queen of Scots.

Amazon bosses are currently said to be considering locations in which to set the much-anticipated new film, which experts predicted is likely to be released at the end of next year or in 2027.