Earlier this week, Esquire ran a story proclaiming that Callum Turner (Green Room, The Boys in the Boat, Masters of the Air) is likely to become the next James Bond for Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming chapter of the British superspy franchise. While the world waits for confirmation on what has been one of the most contentious casting processes in Hollywood history, we can’t help but think of how replacing Daniel Craig as 007 reached such a frenzied pitch. Last year, a Bond casting rumor spiraled out of control, resulting in an elaborate hoax that put The Museum and Wolves of War actor Scott Rose-Marsh in a position to take on the character.
How did the Bond casting hoax start?
The hoax began with an email sent in August 2025 to Jake Kanter of Deadline. The emailer, going by the name Michael Lawrence, sent insider information to Kanter through an encrypted email account, saying that an unknown British actor was being targeted for the coveted role of James Bond.
“I am providing one redacted casting email (of two in my possession) that proves actor Scott Rose-Marsh has been seen by the Bond producers and is being actively considered for the role of James Bond,” the message read.
What were the clues?
Included in the email was a heavily redacted screenshot of a macOS Mail account, claiming to show a casting brief for a role named “Bond/Cavalier” in a film code-named “Project Knight.” Lawrence sent the email days before Denis Villeneuve’s confirmation as the next Bond director, and months before Steve DeKnight signed on to write the script. Kanter, who knows not to take a document like this at face value, immediately sensed that something about the mostly redacted document was amiss.
In his report, Kanter stated that the email was structured in a manner that resembles how AI distributes information, featuring subheads, bullet points, and robotic language. After running the email through an AI filter, Kanter discovered it was likely written using ChatGPT or a similar tool.
Kanter investigates the claims
When Kanter pressed Lawrence for more information about his identity and the document in question, Lawrence (either a real person or an AI-prompted lie) neglected to elaborate further. Instead of ending the transaction there, Lawrence sent two scripts, which he claimed were read by Rose-Marsh during an audition. The first scene was from 1995’s Goldeneye, while the other was supposedly from Knight’s Bond script. The Goldeneye script was unremarkable, but the idea that Lawrence claimed to have a portion of Knight’s script and was willing to share it digitally was unheard of. The heavily redacted script would not be something you would share so openly, even with the use of an encrypted email account. Even reviewing a script of this nature requires the signing of an NDA and other formalities to be completed.
After careful consideration, Kanter concluded the script was a fake. Determined to get to the bottom of the situation, Kanter ran up the Hollywood flagpole with the information he could, his trusted sources scoffing at the exchange. As it turns out, casting for Bond would not even begin until Villeneuve completed work on Dune Part Three. The timelines didn’t match. Nothing about the claims made sense.
The lie begins to fall apart
When Lawrence failed to provide Kanter with more information (and evidence), the tip faded from view. However, The Hollywood Reporter soon published a gossip column suggesting that Rose-Marsh tested for Bond. THR’s report noted Rose-Marsh’s ginger hair, and naturally, the report sparked conversation and skepticism among those keeping their finger on the pulse of Bond casting rumors.
Scott Rose-Marsh responds to the rumor
Once the story went wide, the Australian publication Man of Many asked Rose-Marsh for confirmation about the role. “I can’t confirm or deny,” Rose-Marsh said. Adding, “Whether it was to be me or anybody else, I would support whoever it is.” This answer is the safest he could give. After all, who doesn’t want the attention of a Bond casting rumor?
Kanter continued to dig into the story, eventually learning that Knight’s script was a fake, and Rose-Marsh never tested for the role. When Kanter finally spoke to Rose-Marsh and asked him about the audition, Rose-Marsh said the speculation “may have arisen from a previous ‘Bond-related’ audition.” Rose-Marsh then said he was unable to share more information due to signing an NDA.
“I do not agree with or condone hoaxers,” Rose-Marsh said, adding: “I don’t comment on rumors, but since being in the public eye, it’s humbling that people think a rising actor like me could really be James Bond — and, of course, being Bond has been the dream of many actors.”
Once all is said and done, we likely won’t know who will play the next James Bond until later this year. One thing you can count on, though, is that it won’t be Scott Rose-Marsh.
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