Daisy May Cooper is in talks to take on a starring role in the next James Bond film as production bosses eye her up for the part of spy chief M, according to reports.
The 36-year-old actress is thought to be a top contender for the role as production bosses want to take the character "in a different direction".
They're said to be hoping Daisy will allow the franchise to become "a bit lighter and more comedic".
If the This Country star takes on the part, she will follow in the footsteps of stars including Dame Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes.
An insider has said the talks came about due to her friendship with Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who joined the production as a script consultant.
"Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation. Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking M in a different direction," the source said.
The insider also said bosses are keen to to take the James Bond franchise in a new direction following Daniel Craig's decision to leave the role of 007 after the release of No Time To Die in 2021.
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"With Daniel leaving, it seemed the time to start looking at changes across the board and the dynamic between Bond and M is at the heart of the films.
"So this opens the door to it being a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards — and will of course impact the direction the new 007 goes in too," an insider told The Sun.
The news comes after Aaron Taylor-Johnson became the frontrunner to replace Daniel in the latest betting odds.
The 32-year-old actor is known for films like Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tenet and Bullet Train.
Coral's John Hill said: "[Aaron] is the name everybody is backing to replace [Daniel] as the next James Bond. He is now odds-on for that role for the first time since [we] opened betting on this market several years ago."
Coral states that he has now surpassed the likes of Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy in the latest odds to play James Bond.
It was reported earlier this year that Aaron had already met with producers.
His rumoured meeting with co-producer Barbara Broccoli was said to have gone "very well". The actor even reportedly filmed a screen test at Pinewood Studios last year.
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