‘Homeland’ star Damian Lewis has emerged as one of the frontrunners to replace Daniel Craig as James Bond, after a string of bets caused bookies to slash their odds on the actor. Current Bond Daniel Craig is widely believed to be stepping down as 007 later this year following the release of his fourth film in the franchise, Spectre.

Damian LewisCan you picture Damian Lewis as 007?

Bookie William Hill is now offering 6/4 odds on Lewis becoming the next Bond, having previously put him at 25/1. The move comes after a flurry of £200 bets were recently placed on the ‘Homeland’ actor.

“This is an unprecedented gamble, as for no apparent reason we have seen bets of up to £200 on Damian Lewis being named as the next Bond. This might well be significant,” William Hill spokesman Rupert Adams told The Telegraph.

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Lewis’ odd have also been slashed by Ladbrokes, who now put the actor as the 2/1 favourite. "The gamble on Lewis has developed out of no where and with such serious pace we've been forced to cut his odds all the way down into favouritism,” said Jessica Bridge of Ladbrokes.

The other frontrunner for the role is ‘The Wire’ star Idris Elba, who has been the hotly tipped favourite for months. Also in the running are British actors Tom Hardy and Michael Fassbender as well as the current Superman Henry Cavill.

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If Lewis does become the next 007 he’ll be the first flame haired actor to take on the role. Speaking to The Telegraph in 2013, the actor joked that thanks to Skyfall’s exploration of 007’s background, the time is now right for a red-headed Bond. “He now has Scottish heritage – I can’t believe they worked that in especially for me,” Lewis said.

But before a new 007 can emerge Daniel Craig still has at lest one more adventure left in him. Spectre, the twenty-fourth Bond movie, directed by Sam Mendes will hit cinemas later this year on November 6th.