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Will Tom Hardy be the next James Bond? Betting odds high on actor but Internet calls him 'most boring choice'

Betting website Labrokes put high odds on Tom Hardy becoming the next James Bond, replacing Daniel Craig

Place your bets, because Tom Hardy's lucky number 007 may have just come up. Ladbrokes, a bookies gambling website, have placed high odds on Tom Hardy being cast as the next James Bond after Daniel Craig leaves the franchise. Tom Hardy's odds, which were at 8/1, have gone to a 4/5 in a span of 24 hours after rounds of betting following an announcement that Tom Hardy was offered the part. While the news might make certain gamblers happy, fans of the 'James Bond' franchise are a lot more disappointed with the casting choice, while others are merely lukewarm.

A large part of the disappointment comes from fans who desperately wanted Idris Elba to be playing the titular character. There has been a lot of support for this fan casting of James Bond, though none of it has been official. "Legit if the rumors are true we missed out on two great opportunities. I like Tom Hardy a lot but we don't need White brute bond again. If not Elba then a change of direction with suave gadget bond in Tom Hiddleston would have been nice," writes a fan, on Twitter. "I reallllllly don’t want Tom Hardy to be the next Bond. Urgh. no, no, no," writes another.

While some fans are disappointed, others are outraged. While there are some Bond purists who believe that Bond should always be played by a White actor, other objections to Idris Elba's casting were that he was "too street" to play the suave, smooth secret agent — objections that prove to be hypocritical in light of the possible Tom Hardy casting. "Remember when Idris Elba was "too street" to play James Bond but Tom Hardy is now "la-di-da"?!" writes a fan. Other suggestions have cropped up for those who could play James Bond instead, with Henry Cavill and Michael Fassbender being strong second favorites after Idris Elba. "Tom hardy looks more like a squady than a public school boy James Bond. Michael Fassbender would be perfect," wrote a fan

With Daniel Craig's 'No Time to Die' set to release, the fans have been hoping for something new — not just in terms of actors, but in terms of the overall approach to James Bond. The twenty-fifth James Bond film would be a perfect way to cap a series of the White, suave, upper-class British men who have embodied the role, while laying the ground for a new kind of Bond for the franchise going forward. While many feel that Tom Hardy is a great actor, he's not a fan-favorite for this particular role — and many Bond fans feel like he's one of the safest, most boring choices Hollywood could have made. "Not to be super invested in James Bond on main but Tom Hardy would be the safest and most boring choice to follow Craig. I also don't think he fits the role in general. I'd rather like a younger actor who can bring some new energy to the role and reboot the story entirely," says this fan.

'No Time to Die' is currently scheduled for release on November 12 in the United Kingdom and on November 20 in the United States.