A top James Bond producer has let slip a big clue as to who will don 007's tuxedo next.
Ever since Daniel Craig bid farewell to the iconic MI6 agent in last year's No Time To Die, speculation has been rife as to who will take over his license to kill.
Among the bookies' favorites to be the next Bond are a host of British heartthrobs including Tom Holland, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and Henry Cavill.
However, it looks like the odds of who will take over from Craig are about to change, as producer Michael G Wilson drops a hint that rules out quite a few of these actors from the running.
Wilson - who runs Eon Productions in partnership with his half-sister Barbara Broccoli - was speaking at the British Film Festival this week when he let slip one of the main criteria producers will be looking for in casting the next Bond.
Speaking about how old the actor would have to be, Wilson explained they had initially considered younger stars - but that it didn't work.
"Remember, Bond's already a veteran, he's had some experience," he said per Deadline, adding: "He's a person who has been through the wars, so to speak."
"He's probably been in the SAS or something, he isn't some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off - that's why it works for a 30-something," Wilson said.
This means that three fan favorites for the role - Tom Holland, Tom Hardy, and Idris Elba - can all kiss their Bond ambitions goodbye.
Both Hardy, 45, and Elba, 50, are too old for the part, while Spider-Man star Holland, 26, is a little shy of the age bracket.
While it's a sad day for fans of these three Bond hopefuls, with them out of the way the odds of other likely candidates have just shot up.
Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page makes the cut at 34, as does Eternals star Richard Madden, 36, and Superman actor Henry Cavill, 39.
As for whether a female star could ever take over as the iconic super spy, producer Barbara Broccoli put that rumor to bed in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter last year.
"I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men's roles. I don't think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women," she told the outlet at the time.
