How a relatively unknown Scottish actor has emerged as the new favourite to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond

After playing a gun toting tough guy with a penchant for heists, Stuart Martin has unknowingly catapulted himself into the ring as a possible replacement for Daniel Craig as James Bond.

Relatively lesser-known compared to other contenders for the coveted role, the 38-year-old Scottish actor is said to have impressed bosses with his last decade of work.

The strapping 6ft 2in star has reportedly been involved in tentative ‘under the radar’ talks with Eon Productions, who make the beloved spy movies, with insiders claiming he could be in ‘serious contention’ to play the 007 agent.

If chosen, he would be the first Scot since original star Sean Connery to take on the British secret agent.

The late actor made his debut in Dr. No in 1962, with his accent prompting Ian Fleming to write Scottish heritage into Bond’s past.

‘Stuart is the name that has been discussed in Bond circles by those in the know,’ said an LA movie consultant who has worked with the Bond franchise.

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Relatively unknown compared to other contenders for the coveted role, Scottish actor Stuart Martin is said to have impressed bosses with his last decade of work

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The star, 38, has reportedly been involved in tentative ‘under the radar’ talks with Eon Productions, with insiders claiming he could be in ‘serious contention’ to play the 007 agent

‘He is in serious contention. No-one will confirm this because Eon goes all out to deny and shy away from anything concerning casting, but it would be an amazing milestone to have a Scottish Bond again.’

The source added that there is still ‘hurdles to jump through’ including multiple meetings with Eon so they can ‘get a feel for his personality’.

They continued: ‘And let’s not forget, Eon doesn’t give a damn whether the man who lands the job is famous or not. It is about getting the man they want and who they feel is best suited for this life changing experience.

‘It is more pressure, scrutiny and stress than any other movie role.’

Martin’s name has been bandied about by fans in recent years, with people highlighting his height, ‘rugged’ looks and relatively little fame as key attributes for taking on the role.

‘Stuart Martin is my pick… (seems to tick all the right boxes),’ read one comment on Reddit three years ago.

‘Stuart Martin caught my eye,’ wrote another. ‘He seems to have about the same level of fame as Daniel Craig did when he was picked.’

A third added: ‘That rugged Scottish voice… he is perfect!!!!!’

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Martin, 38, has unknowingly catapulted himself into the ring as a possible replacement for Daniel Craig as the 007 agent (pictured in 2022)

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His turn as tough guy Bradley Cage in Zack Snyder’s 2021 heist comedy Army of Thieves no doubt piqued the interest of Bond bigwigs (pictured on set)

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If chosen, Martin would be the first Scot since original star Sean Connery to take on the British secret agent (pictured Connery in Goldfinger in 1964)

On Facebook, someone wrote: ‘The best man by far for the role of the new James Bond is Scottish actor STUART MARTIN. The 6’ 2” tall 37-year-old Scotsman would be an ideal Bond, very much in the style of the beloved Sir Sean Connery… He’s perfect in every respect to become the new 007!’

Hailing from Ayr in Scotland, Martin broke out in the Channel 4 comedy-drama Babylon in 2014.

He later landed roles in the historical dramas Medici: Masters of Florence and Jamestown before achieving greater prominence in Victorian crime series Miss Scarlet and The Duke in which he took the lead as a police officer.

His turn as tough guy Bradley Cage in Zack Snyder’s 2021 heist comedy Army of Thieves no doubt piqued the interest of Bond bigwigs.

Martin, who has two children with his actress wife Lisa McGrillis, ditched the booze and hit the gym to take on the character who was involved in shoot outs and throwing himself at vehicles in high-octane stunts.

‘We got to do some really cool stuff with some of the heists,’ he told Lewis magazine. ‘And we got to do it all ourselves… Our stunt director had [Nathalie Emmanuel] and me doing crazy stuff, jumping into the back of moving vans with the camera. It was a lot of fun and looks pretty cool.’

Speaking about how he got into shape for the role he told Untitled: ‘We did boot camp and training camp for a few weeks out in Prague. Stunts and guns and all the physical stuff.

‘Brad is a muscle head, so I was just smashing the gym and training in the months leading up to try and give him that look and feel. And also shed my lockdown fluff.’

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‘Stuart is the name that has been discussed in Bond circles by those in the know,’ said an LA movie consultant who has worked with the Bond franchise

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Martin, who has two children with his actress wife Lisa McGrillis (pictured), ditched the booze and hit the gym to take on high-octane stunts in Army of Thieves

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Aaron Taylor-Johnson was said to have completed a screen test at Pinewood Studios with Barbara Broccoli in March 2022

The action-packed drama became Netflix’s number one film in over 90 countries.

The casting news is the latest twist in the ongoing saga for the hunt of the next Bond, four years after Craig’s exit.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson was said to have completed a screen test at Pinewood Studios with Barbara Broccoli in March 2022.

But sources recently told DailyMail.com that Hollywood bigwigs are now questioning if he has the ‘credentials’ to play the titular spy after they were left shaken by the dismal response to his new film Kraven the Hunter.

Other names reportedly in the mix include Callum Turner, James Norton and Paul Mescal.

Craig had five outings as Bond, with 2021 blockbuster No Time to Die marking his swansong.

Since then the fate of the franchise has been up in the air after Amazon bought MGM for $8.45 billion. The company partners with Eon Productions on Bond.

The contract stated that Eon boss Barbara Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G Wilson would retain creative control, but according to the Wall Street Journal, when asked about the deal last year, she told friends: ‘These people are f***ing idiots.’