Stanley Tucci and Richard Madden have James Bond fans all shaken up

Stanley Tucci and Richard Madden sent James Bond fans into a spin with an Instagram video shared Friday (28 April).

The latter actor has long been among the top favourites to take over from Daniel Craig as 007 following his final outing in 2021’s No Time to Die.

In Tucci’s Instagram clip, he and his Citadel costar are at a bar drinking martinis.

“How’s yours,” Tucci asks, to which Madden replies: “Delicious.”

The pair struggle to contain their laughter as they sit in silence. “Join us next week when we’ll have some dialogue,” Madden eventually says.

In the comments on Tucci’s post, many people were quick to point out that the cocktail is, famously, Bond’s drink of choice.

“I don’t know what drinks look like, but if that’s Richard Madden drinking a Martini that’s been shaken, not stirred……imma hit the roof with excitement,” one person commented.

“New Bond and Q?!” posited another.

“Vesper?” asked a third, alluding to the martini variation invented by author Ian Fleming for Bond.

Earlier this month, Bond producers appeared to rule out any young actors taking on the mantle.

Debbie McWilliams – Casting Director on the franchise since 1981 – told RadioTimes that younger auditionees lacked the “gravitas” to play the smooth-talking secret agent.

Producers appeared to confirm that the next 007 will be “a thirty-something“ in line with franchise tradition. Madden is 36.

He faces stiff competition from the likes of Kick-Ass star Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 32, who reportedly sat down with producer Barbara Broccoli recently for a meeting that went “very well”.

For a more extensive breakdown of the next Bond contenders, click here.

Earlier this year, Idris Elba, long described as a potential frontrunner for the role, seemed to finally put speculation to bed.

The first two episodes of Citadel were released on Amazon Prime on Friday (28 April) to a lukewarm reception.