Barry Keoghan says he does not think he ‘fits the criteria’ to be James Bond

Peaky Blinders star Barry Keoghan has said he does not think he “fits the criteria for James Bond”.

The 33-year-old is among the stars who have been mentioned as a candidate for the next 007, as speculation stirs over who should take over as the new face of the popular spy franchise.

In an interview with Radio Times, Keoghan addressed the rumours that he may replace Daniel Craig as Bond.

He said: “(James Bond is) an iconic role and a lot of weight and pressure comes with that.

“It’s nice to see your name go up there, but I don’t think I fit the criteria for James Bond.

“I’d rather come in and do the villain. The man teasing Bond, that’s more me.”

The Dublin-born actor is best known for his roles in hit films such as Saltburn (2023) and The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022), and will star in the upcoming Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man.

As well as Keoghan, other stars suggested to replace Craig – who last played the British secret service agent in 2021’s No Time To Die – include Jacob Elordi, Cillian Murphy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Callum Turner.

The next Bond film will be directed by Canadian filmmaker and four-time Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve – who is known for Dune, Prisoners, Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival.

It was also recently announced that the script for the next film will be written by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

This comes after a major overhaul of the iconic British spy franchise which saw Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson hand over creative control to Amazon as part of a lucrative deal.