As speculation continues to mount over who will be the next James Bond, up-and-coming actor Barry Keoghan has emerged as a strong contender to play the franchise’s next villain.
Betway have used a supercomputer to predict who would face off against 007 in the next film, basing their predictions on factors such as previous actors’ gender and age at the time of filming.
The results suggest that Barry has an 8.5% chance of becoming the next Bond villain, making him the youngest actor on the list with the highest odds. Only three actors have better chances of landing the role: Colin Farrell with a 15.8% chance, Oscar Isaac at 13.8%, and Cillian Murphy at 9.6%.
Other stars included in the list are Pedro Pascal, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, John Boyega, and Adam Driver. Meanwhile, Stanley Tucci (3.6%), Emma Corrin (3.8%), and Willem Dafoe (3.4%) are considered the least likely to appear as the villain in the next instalment, reports the Express.
Barry launched his career in 2011, but it was his roles in The Killing of a Sacred Deer and Dunkirk, both released in 2017, that really put him on the map. He has since appeared in major Hollywood productions like The Green Knight, Eternals, and The Batman.
In 2023, he played the character Oliver Quick in the black comedy psychological thriller Saltburn, earning nominations for two Golden Globe Awards and five BAFTA Film Awards.
Barry has a packed schedule with a slew of upcoming films, including Hurry Up Tomorrow with Jenna Ortega, The Immortal Man, which is a continuation of TV series Peaky Blinders, and Crime 101 alongside Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo and Halle Berry.
He’s been recognised for his talent over the years, bagging a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in 2023 for The Banshees of Inisherin and an Irish Film and Television Awards for Best Supporting Actor for The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
Aside from his professional life, Barry has also made headlines due to his rumoured romance with pop star Sabrina Carpenter.
While they’ve never officially confirmed their relationship, the pair have been seen together on multiple occasions.