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With the final auditions for the next James Bond taking place in recent weeks, we are hopefully just days away from the big announcement. However, with Daniel Craig leaving behind big shoes to fill, the next lucky actor will have a lot of pressure on their shoulders.
Now, despite Jack Lowden (Slow Horses), Callum Turner (Eternity), and Josh O’Connor (The Crown) reportedly being the final three candidates rumored to take on the role of James Bond in the next blockbuster movie, fans of the franchise believe that we have already found our perfect 007, and it is not any of the actors listed.
It was back in May 2026 that we got to experience Bond’s origin story courtesy of a brand-new action-adventure game set in the universe created by author Ian Flemming. Developed by IO Interactive, 007: First Light became one of the highest rated games of the year, and now, six months on, and with DLC just around the corner, fans have agreed on one major thing.
Portraying a much younger Bond in 007: First Light was Irish actor Patrick Gibson, and after his stellar performance that showed Bond with the naivety of youth, yet the charm we all know and love from the character, fans have agreed that he should be picked to also portray Bond in the live-action universe.
Discussions about Gibson’s incredible performance have dominated the 007: First Light fandom since the game’s launch and over on r/JamesBond, one user wrote, “Patrick Gibson is an absolutely phenomenal James Bond/007. I am about 20+ hours into First Light, and I am confident in saying that Patrick Gibson deserves his flowers and be recognized as part of the pantheon of “great” Bond actors alongside Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig, plus a bonus that he is the second Irish actor to play Bond after Brosnan.”
Going on to praise Gibson’s portrayal of a younger Bond by comparing it to Robert Pattinson bringing a younger Bruce Wayne to life in The Batman, the Reddit user continued, “He manages to flawlessly channel a lot of the classic “Fleming-esque” DNA into his portrayal of Bond much in a similar way his Bond predecessors did while still putting on his own unique stamp on the character and giving room for his Bond to grow.”
With almost 200 comments, it is safe to say that fellow 007: First Light fans have their own thoughts about Gibson’s performance, including one user who simply replied, “I have to say, Gibson changed my mind; he made me believe it.” A second user shared, “He probably earned an audition for the films.”
It is unclear if Gibson has ever had the opportunity to audition for the live-action James Bond movie franchise, but there is no denying that his performance in 007: First Light should have earned him a spot. Not only that, but with a legion of fans already campaigning for him, it is safe to say that Gibson will go down in history as one of the best Bond portrayals, regardless of what happens next.
- Released
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May 27, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence, In-Game Purchases
- Developer(s)
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IO Interactive
- Publisher(s)
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IO Interactive