Daniel Craig did something inconvenient in No Time to Die: he actually died. One missile strike later, the tuxedo was empty, the martini untouched, and MI6 had a staffing problem no HR department could solve. Five years on, Bond casting resembles a never-ending elimination round, with every British actor under 40 apparently one espresso away from an audition.

Amazon MGM has recruited Denis Villeneuve to direct and Steven Knight to write, but the next 007 remains officially anonymous. Now a fresh report has thrown a Scotsman into the spotlight.

Meet Jack Lowden, a spy veteran with a useful head start.

According to entertainment insider Jeff Sneider of The InSneider, Amazon MGM has completed screen tests for its next James Bond, with Lowden and Euphoria star Jacob Elordi among those tested. Sneider claims Elordi has won the role, but Amazon MGM has made no casting announcement. Until the studio speaks, the Aston Martin keys remain firmly on the hook.

Lowden, 36, was born in Essex and raised in Scotland's Borders. That Scottish identity gives him a neat Bond connection: Ian Fleming wrote 007 with a Scottish father from Glencoe, and Sean Connery, the first cinematic Bond, was Edinburgh-born. 

Then there is his résumé. On Apple TV's Slow Horses, Lowden plays River Cartwright, an ambitious intelligence officer banished to Slough House, where espionage involves humiliating mistakes, bureaucratic misery, and Gary Oldman insulting everybody within earshot.

Lowden has also flown into Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk, played Lord Darnley in Mary Queen of Scots, and portrayed poet Siegfried Sassoon in Benediction. The Scottish thriller Calibre showed his gift for conveying panic without resorting to superhero speeches. He won an Olivier Award for Ghosts, proving he can command a stage without a gadget-filled wristwatch.

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But while Hollywood debates who gets the license to kill, Bond is preparing to infiltrate a different medium.

Ian Fleming Publications announced on October 9 that acclaimed comic-book writer Grant Morrison will launch a new partnership with IDW Publishing through Sunbreaker, a six-part 007 adventure. Morrison's credentials include Batman, All-Star Superman, Doom Patrol, and New X-Men. 

The Scottish writer has promised unfamiliar enemies, sophisticated gadgets, new cars, and a terrifying villain inspired by contemporary headlines. The story unfolds in a warped reflection of our world, packed with conspiracies, betrayal, and international danger.

The writer also revealed a lifelong fascination with Fleming's creation, describing the opportunity to tackle such an important British character as irresistible.The comic therefore offers another promising mission while Hollywood continues searching for its leading man. Bond's cinematic future remains uncertain, but the literary superspy clearly has unfinished business.

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Would Jack Lowden make a convincing James Bond, or should Amazon hand the legendary tuxedo to another contender? Let us know in the comments.