EXCLUSIVE: Buzz about the next James Bond has always existed in its own reality. Everyone’s got an opinion about who should play the super spy, and — even if those views do not align with the tiny pool of tastemakers overseeing the franchise — they are whipped up by bookmakers, agents, the press, and very often the actors themselves. And why not? It’s flattering to be thought of as 007.
But not all Bond rumors are created equally. And at least one rumor, which successfully entered the bloodstream of the media last year, was the result of a fairly elaborate hoax, later legitimized by the actor in question. This is the inside story of that hoax, which serves as a cautionary tale about the efforts some will go to deceive journalists and how AI is supercharging the ability to spread disinformation. Ultimately, the hoax proves an old reporting maxim: If a story is too good to be true, it often is.
It started with an email. Like many reporters, I have an encrypted email account, through which I encourage sources to send me sensitive information that could ultimately lead to a story. In August 2025, a person identifying himself as Michael Lawrence sent me an eye-catching message, in which they claimed to have evidence showing that an unknown British actor was being seriously considered as the successor to Daniel Craig.
The actor in question was Scott Rose-Marsh, a red-headed 37-year-old whose most significant screen credit was in Yr Amgueddfa (The Museum), a Welsh-language series that last screened in 2023. “I am providing one redacted casting email (of two in my possession) that proves actor Scott Rose-Marsh has been seen by the Bond producers and is being actively considered for the role of James Bond,” the message read.
Fake Bond casting email screenshot (presented as sent to Deadline)
Attached was a heavily redacted screenshot of a macOS Mail account, claiming to show a casting brief for a role named “Bond/Cavalier” in a film code-named “Project Knight.” The email was purportedly sent on June 24, 2025, days before Denis Villeneuve was confirmed by Amazon MGM Studios as Bond 26’s director, and months before Peaky Blinders scribe Steven Knight was officially installed as the movie’s writer.
Send me an email like this, and you have my attention. But something was a little off about the message. There were inconsistencies and a peculiar focus on horsemanship, which is not something naturally associated with Bond. The email is structured in a way that resembles how AI spits out information, with subheads, bullet points, and robotic language. Indeed, when run through two artificial intelligence detector tools — which are unreliable but can provide circumstantial evidence — both indicated a high probability that the email was written using ChatGPT or similar.
Was “Michael” real or an AI-prompted illusion? I pressed him for more information, but the tipster declined to declare his identity, his connection to Rose-Marsh, or how he came into possession of confidential material. Nevertheless, Michael shared two scripts, which he claimed were read by Rose-Marsh during an audition. One was a scene from GoldenEye, the other was purportedly a scene from Knight’s Bond script. Michael made repeated requests that the material not be shared or published.
The Knight script was an extraordinary claim. Such material is not freely disseminated digitally and is usually subject to strict non-disclosure agreements. The script was heavily redacted, which served to heighten its mystique and cement the impression it was being shared illicitly. It did, however, contain the somewhat ironic direction: “James Bond leaves the office in which he just found a conclusive piece of evidence.”
The script was not a conclusive piece of evidence (it was, as I would later discover, a fake), but it was enough for us to make further inquiries in an attempt to corroborate the claims. As it turned out, Hollywood sources scoffed at the tipster, indicating what my colleague Baz Bamigboye later reported: that casting for Bond would not begin in earnest until Villeneuve had completed Dune: Part Three. In other words, the Rose-Marsh audition timeline did not fit.
Fake Steven Knight ‘Bond 26’ script (presented as sent to Deadline)
When you balance the words of trusted confidantes with a faceless tipster, the former should always prevail. We decided against publication on this basis, but there were other red flags, not least a failed attempt to get Michael on the phone (he wrongly claimed my Signal account was not registered). Michael also said he was speaking to other journalists, a tactic presumably designed to increase the pressure on me to beat the competition and publish.
I thought little more of the tip-off until a week later, when The Hollywood Reporter published a gossip column suggesting that Rose-Marsh tested for Bond, reading sides from GoldenEye and potential material from Knight. Citing a “well-placed source close to the production,” the report did offer a note of skepticism about Rose-Marsh’s ginger hair, but ultimately sparked a flurry of follow-up stories, firmly connecting the actor with the role of a lifetime.
Amazon MGM Studios did not knock the story down (as is tradition with Bond casting rumors), and then — perhaps the most telling intervention — Rose-Marsh capitalized on the interest by granting an interview to Australian publication Man of Many, under the headline: “Meet Scott Rose-Marsh, the man who might be James Bond.” Asked if he had auditioned for Bond, the actor cryptically replied: “I can’t confirm or deny.” He added: “Whether it was to be me or anybody else, I would support whoever it is.”
Over Christmas, the Bond rumors kept coming — and Rose-Marsh continued to be mentioned. Reports about Callum Turner being the frontrunner featured references to Rose-Marsh, while GQ named him among the contenders in a listicle. Bookmakers are taking bets on Rose-Marsh being Bond, with comparison website Oddschecker putting his chances at 33-1 (incidentally, there have been many reports about Rose-Marsh based on betting odds, a couple of which pre-dated efforts to plant the audition story).
So at the turn of the year, I decided to do some further digging on the story. A well-placed person eventually confirmed that the Knight “script” was a fabrication. What’s more, Rose-Marsh never tested for the movie or received the casting email that was purported to have been sent to him.
Would the real James Bond please stand up
Everett Collection
When I confronted Rose-Marsh, the actor said the speculation “may have arisen from a previous ‘Bond-related’ audition,” but he declined to provide more information because of an NDA. Rose-Marsh did not directly answer questions about whether he was aware of the hoax or if he knew the identity of Michael Lawrence.
“I do not agree with or condone hoaxers,” he said, adding: “I don’t comment on rumors, but since being in the public eye, it’s humbling that people think a rising actor like me could really be James Bond — and, of course, being Bond has been the dream of many actors.”
Gregg Millard, Rose-Marsh’s agent, advised his client against the Man of Many interview, telling him it would be naive. Millard said he was baffled at the level of “unfounded speculation” and that the story was not killed by Bond producers. “I know nothing about any suggested hoax,” he added.
When confronted with our evidence over email on Thursday, Michael Lawrence did not reply. Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment.
We may well find out the true identity of the next James Bond later this year. It will be a thrilling moment, injecting fresh life into one of cinema’s most iconic franchises. But until that time, the Rose-Marsh hoax is a reminder not to be left shaken or stirred by rumors about 007.