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Is James Bond role going to go to much younger actors? It seems like that could be the case if things don’t turn out as the producers of the franchise want. There are rumors that Jamie Bell could be given the license to kill, but those generated from the Daily Mail, which can be very hit and miss when it comes to celebrity news. But maybe the paper is onto something. Deadline has confirmed that the 30 year old actor —who appeared as The Thing in last year’s doomed “Fantastic Four”— is in fact talking to the 007 producers.

Evidently rumors that Daniel Craig won’t reprise his role as 007 were premature. While no negotiations for the next Bond film have started, the trade suggests that Craig won’t really engage in talks about Bond until more of the creative elements are in place, such as the director and script.

READ MORE: Mark Strong Says Daniel Craig Won’t Be Returning As Bond

Meanwhile, Craig is staying busy. He’s recently been attached to the twenty-episode TV series “Purity” with director Todd Field at the helm. This may be a strategy for dealing with the Bond gatekeepers: should he decide to walk, he’ll have options.

And I’d assume Barbara Broccoli, the long-time producer and essentially keeper of the Bond franchise, is doing the same with the talks with Bell, serving as a backup plan. Previously, Craig has said the only reason he returned for “Spectre” was because he convinced “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes to direct. Mendes appears to be permanently out of the franchise, so Craig may need to also approve a new director if it comes to that. Oh, and they’d also have to come up with a script he actually liked. Bell is probably crossing his fingers as we speak.