Bookmaker Coral have suspended betting on the next James Bond after a large sum of money was placed on favourite Tom Hiddleston.
The bookamaker reported a swell of activity around Hiddleston this weekend and cut his odds to 1-2 before suspendeding betting altogether, reports BBC News.
This latest development follows news that the British actor was reportedly spotted meeting with Bond director Sam Mendes last week.
Nicola McGeady, a spokeswoman for Coral, said: “There is no smoke without fire, and following the big gamble on Tom Hiddleston in the last 24 hours, we’ve had no choice but to pull the plug on the market.
“Earlier in the year there was a gamble on Idris Elba and Damian Lewis, but nothing has come close to the recent gamble on Hiddleston.”
However, all talk of a new Bond could be premature. Speaking earlier this year at the Empire Awards, where Spectre picked up two prizes, Mendes admitted that while he felt Daniel Craig may have turned his back on the part, there is still a clear way back in for him if he chooses to continue.
Craig has portrayed iconic fictional secret agent James Bond in four films since 2006, appearing inCasino Royale, 2008’s Quantum of Solace, 2012’s Skyfall and last year’s Spectre.
While promoting Spectre, Craig famously said he would rather “slash my wrists” than play 007 again. However, he later appeared to backtrack from this comment.