The fever is at its peak. And this time, with social media and its famous online detectives, it will be difficult to simply sit back and wait for the next James Bond announcement. Every appearance, professional commitment, or actor’s silence seems to offer a clue. Over the past 48 hours, reports that the selection has reached its final screen tests, scheduled for this weekend, have gained traction, with Jack Lowden and Callum Turner among the most frequently mentioned names. Josh O’Connor also appears in the reports, while the identity of a possible fourth candidate continues to fuel the collective investigation.

Jacob Elordi, meanwhile, reportedly will not be participating in this round. Has his career reached the point where he would rather negotiate for a character than compete in a screen test? It is a tempting question, because established stars can, under certain circumstances, secure roles without auditioning. But we do not know whether that is what happened: the available information is that he reportedly will not be taking part in the final tests, with no confirmed explanation for his absence. Turning that gap into a decision by the actor would add another rumor to the collection.

The confusion between names also helps keep the conversation lively. Josh O’Connor, of The Crown and Challengers, is one of the reported candidates. Jack O’Connell, of Sinners, continues to appear in speculation, although reports about this stage suggest that he will not be taking part in the tests either. With so many Jacks, Joshes, and mystery candidates, following the selection already demands the kind of attention that would make sense on an MI6 assignment.

But the development that caught my attention most was Richard Madden’s return to the rumors. Yes, the forever Robb Stark is once again being mentioned as a possibility for 007. His name has resurfaced in coverage of the race, although there is still no consistent confirmation that he is among the actors in this final round. So, for now, he belongs among the possibilities circulating again, rather than automatically taking anyone else’s place.

Madden is already a familiar figure in this conversation. His departure from Game of Thrones and, later, the success of Bodyguard, released in 2018, helped establish him as an entirely plausible candidate for the tuxedo. In the series, he played a war veteran assigned to protect a senior British politician, a rather convenient combination of action, tension, and vulnerability.

More recently, Citadel offered him another espionage vehicle, this time alongside Priyanka Chopra Jonas. To me, the Scottish actor remains an interesting alternative: I can see both the elegance and the toughness the character requires in him. Whether there is a genuine move behind the scenes to bring him back into contention or whether we are simply revisiting an old favorite remains to be seen. All we need now is for Aaron Taylor-Johnson to return and complete the reunion of candidates someone, somewhere, has already declared practically certain to get the role.

The expectation that we will know the chosen actor before the end of 2026, at least, has some basis beyond collective anxiety. Producer Amy Pascal has already indicated that casting news before the end of the year would be a good bet. That does not establish a date, but it helps explain why every piece of information now seems to carry the weight of an imminent revelation.

PS: What if the surprise turns out to be Patrick Gibson, the actor who plays James Bond in the game 007 First Light? He already has experience with the character that none of the other candidates can put on their résumé. There is no confirmation that he is taking part in the film’s screen tests; this is my contribution to the collective investigation. But I admit it would be an amusing way to discover that the new Bond had been right in front of us while we were looking at everyone else.