EXCLUSIVE: James Bond Favorites 'Could Lose Role Because of the Size of Their Ears'
Bond franchise bosses are weighing up potential actors' ear sizes, per sources.
Nov. 12 2026, Published 5:00 p.m. ET
The identity of cinema's next James Bond may hang on the size of the actor's ears, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Bosses of the 007 franchise are said to be weighing up whether favorites for the role – who include Josh O'Connor and Callum Turner – have ears too big to justify making them the next superspy.
Big Ears Could Ruin Callum Turner and Josh O'Connor's Bond Hopes
Josh O'Connor and Callum Turner 'both have prominent ears,' according to insiders.
Insiders claimed their ears are feared to be too "sticky-outy".
Sources add that bosses are keen to avoid criticism of the size of their ears from fans.
It comes after previous Bond stars Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan were repeatedly savaged by 007 fans for having ears "too big" for the role.
A movie industry source claimed: "Daniel and Pierce caught h-ll from Bond fans over the size of their ears. This time round, Bond bosses want to pick the ‘perfect' 007 with no chance of mockery attached to the casting.
"The fact is, good-looking as they are, Callum and Josh both have very prominent ears – bigger than Daniel's and Pierce's. Bosses do not want this to become a talking point, and sadly this could be the detail that puts them out of the running."
Our insider added the "ear issue" is why lesser-lugged Robert Pattinson and Nicholas Hoult were recently invited to audition for the role.
Jack Lowden is also said to be in the running.
How DanielCraig and Pierce Brosnan Were Mocked Over Their Ears
Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan faced fan mockery over their ear size.
007 fans still poke fun at Craig's prominent ears, jokingly referring to them as "Dumbo head-flaps."
Reports even circulated claiming he considered plastic surgery to pin them back after noticing them while watching Skyfall.
A source said at the time of the movie's release: "Daniel's always been oversensitive and self-conscious about his protruding ears – he recently confessed to the director of his super-successful Skyfall movie that all he could see while watching the film was… his ears!"
Bond fan forums are also filled with mockery over the fact that Brosnan has "gigantic ears."
They have created memes showing how his lugs were often strategically hidden by his hair during his tenure as Bond.
One fan wrote online: "Once you see the size of Pierce's ears in Bond, you can't unsee it."
Castmate Blurts Out Josh O'Connor 007 Leak
Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond film.
The next Bond film will be directed by Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, with a script from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight. However, the studio has yet to announce an official release date or filming schedule.
Producer Amy Pascal has suggested fans could learn the identity of Craig's successor before the end of 2026.
She told Deadline: "I would say the end of the year is a good bet. We are being really, really methodical. Having worked with Barbara Broccoli at the studio – I mean, Daniel Craig is a hard act to follow.
"And it's got to be something really different that is stirring and exciting and different."
TheWrap has reported four actors had recently been offered final screen tests. On November 5, it was reported that an insider had revealed O'Connor will be the new 007.
A source told a UK newspaper: "I bumped into one of Josh's Golden Boy cast mates at The French House. They were recognized by a lot of people who asked for selfies, and we got chatting in a corner completely by accident.
"Out of nowhere, and oiled by a few glasses of lager, they blurted out that Josh was the next James Bond. I said it was pure speculation, but they were insistent it was Josh.
"They said that he had confided in them about getting the role when the cast of Golden Boy had celebratory drinks after the play finished its run on Halloween."
They added, "I was staggered that this person was being so open about it all. But they were clearly very proud of Josh and what getting the role of Bond would mean for his career."
Inside the Final Four Race for the Next 007
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Brosnan praised actor Turner as very 'strong.'
The actor won an Emmy for playing Prince Charles in The Crown, and he appeared alongside previous Bond Craig in last year's Wake Up Dead Man.
Asked about the rumors, O'Connor said: "To be considered in that same sort of bracket is extraordinary. It's an incredibly bizarre pinch me moment, even being uttered in that same sentence and being considered for something like that.
"But I am afraid there is nothing to say beyond that."
The last four actors in the hunt for the new Bond are thought to be O'Connor, Lowden, Callum Turner, and a fourth mystery candidate – although it is believed to be Jack Barton.
Slow Horses star Lowden, 36, has received the backing of his co-star Gary Oldman.
Former 007 actor Brosnan has praised Turner, saying: He told Vanity Fair: "Callum Turner is someone I've worked with, and he's so strong."
