Leo Suter joins race for James Bond

Netflix star Leo Suter has emerged as the latest contender for James Bond ahead of the official announcement.

Suter is best known for his TV work, most notably in Netflix's historical epic Vikings: Valhalla, and the odds on him becoming the next Bond have risen to between 10/1 and 16/1.

Earlier this year, Suter addressed speculation about potentially taking on 007, hinting he may already be part of the wider conversation around casting.

"I think it might be somewhere in there, yeah, and I wouldn't say no," he revealed to The Times in January, adding, "Watch this space."

More recently, Suter has gained fans in the lead role in the BBC's reboot of Inspector Lynley, where he stepped into the part of detective Tommy Lynley, the aristocratic investigator previously played by Nathaniel Parker in the original series, which ran from 2001 to 2008.

Rumours over the casting of the next James Bond are reaching fever pitch, with bookmakers' favourites jostling for position.

Fantastic Beasts star and BAFTA winner Callum Turner is currently the bookmakers' favourite as evinced by OddsChecker, with Harris Dickinson, who is set to portray John Lennon in the upcoming Beatles biopics, snapping at his heels. Australian actor Jacob Elordi is also in the mix

Henry Cavill remains a wildcard in the race, having auditioned for Bond in 2006, and losing out to Daniel Craig.

Craig was the franchise's longest-serving 007, having portrayed the character for 15 years, most recently in Skyfall and his final outing in No Time to Die.

Although nothing has been officially confirmed, industry speculation continues to point towards a fresh origin-style take on Bond, potentially following a younger version of the character at the start of his career.