The world is holding its breath, waiting to see who will be the next Bond, James Bond… but another question is also yet to be answered.
Who will be the first Bond girl smouldering alongside him?
According to polls, Sydney Sweeney is being edged of out by her former Once Upon A Time In Hollywood co-star, Margaret Qualley.
The whispers started after Qualley led a choreographed dance routine during a James Bond tribute at the 97th Academy Awards.
Qualley has a comfortable lead with 39 per cent according to Kalshi.
Sweeney and Qualley were both cast in relatively minor roles in the blood-soaked Tarantino film and have since become big stars.
Similarly, Austin Butler who was cast as Tex, a member of the Manson family cult in Tarantino’s move, went on to play Elvis in Aussie Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis biopic a few years later.
Qualley is tailed by The Menu and Emma star Anya Taylor-Joy coming in at 26 per cent.
Sweeney is down in third position with 19 per cent followed by Florence Pugh at 13 per cent.
The US Sun has reported Florence is also expected to play Moneypenny, the quick-witted secretary to the head of MI6, in a Bond show potentially titled The Moneypenny Diaries
PEOPLE recently confirmed Qualley and Bleachers singer Jack Antonoff filed for divorce after separating earlier this year.
Quaelly’s rep confirmed the separation on the 10th of July and came out to categorically quash any rumours around animosity between the two.
“The narratives running in the press about Margaret and Jack are categorically untrue. There are no trust issues. There was no infidelity or anything outside of respect and partnership in this relationship,” the statement read in PEOPLE.
Meanwhile, Jack Lowden is winning the guessing game where the next Bond is concerned.
His performance as an MI5 agent River Cartwright in Slow Horses is being heralded as the perfect apprenticeship for Bond.
Nina Gold, who cast Slow Horses, will also be at the helm of casting for the Bond franchise, potentially giving Lowden an edge.
Lowden’s wife, Little Women and Lady Bird actress, Saoirse Ronan has thrown her hat in the ring, but not to be a Bond girl.
She has her sites set instead on being a Bond villain and says she’s “dead serious” about exploring a gritty role.
“I want to go dark,” she told Empire.
The twitters come as GC questioned whether the new female stars of the decades old franchise will still be termed Bond “girls” as opposed to “women”.
Multiple actresses who have starred in various Bond films over the years have voiced their qualms with the term, including Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci.