MOVIE NEWS – Since Daniel Craig says he lost interest in playing James Bond, new indications are pointing to the fact that odds have doubled for Tom Hiddleston to be the next 007.

Although we don’t know for sure if there will be another James Bond film with Daniel Craig, many signs are pointing to that that it won’t happen. It’s a shame, since fans and the studio alike would very likely love him to make a fifth occasion as 007.

With the hesitation, though, all eyes are on who will be taking over the role after Craig left the building and now all signs are pointing to Tom Hiddleston.

So much, as a matter of fact, that a report recently emerged that a British bookie has entirely stopped taking bets on Hiddleston being the next Bond, as he is now a 2-1 favorite for the role. The explanation for this dramatic increase for Hiddleston has to do with him having allegedly been spotted having a meeting with Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes and the longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli. Coral bookmakers said in a declaration to The Guardian recently that even though Luther star Idris Elba and Homeland star Damian Lewis have been rumored for the role in recent months, nothing has come close to the buzz now surrounding Hiddleston.

“There’s 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 bet on Hiddleston.”

These rumors are nothing fresh since Hiddleston‘s name has been around for months with the likes of Tom Hardy and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice star Henry Cavill but Hiddleston seems to be most likely candidate now. A spokesperson for BoyleSports, an Irish bookmaker, even said that we can maybe expect an official announcement that Hiddleston will be replacing Craig within “a matter of days.” The spokesperson also mentioned that things heated up after someone from the UK placed a four-figure bet on Hiddleston to take over as Bond at 6-4 odds.

Tom Hiddleston would make sense for the role, give that he is aged 35, which is right around the perfect age to take over as Bond. He is also acting a similar type of spy role in the miniseries The Night Manager, which might have aided move his name to the top of the list. Hiddleston himself hasn’t been shy about voicing his desire to take on the role, as he said in a recent interview with The Sunday Times that he would pounce on the opportunity to play the character.

“I only love the theme tune, the tropes, and the mythology. I love the whole thing. If it ever came knocking, it would be an extraordinary opportunity. And I’m very aware of the physicality of the job. I would not take it lightly.”

The last Bond film, Spectre, was a triumph at the box office, earning nearly $900 million, but it didn’t come near the take of Skyfall which was more than $1.1 billion and wasn’t nearly as much of a critical success either. As of right now there is no word on when production will begin on the next Bond film, which will be the 25th installment. Hiddleston will be seen next in Kong: Skull Island, followed by another go as Loki in Thor: Ragnarok. Stay tuned for updates on who will be taking over the role of 007.