Just days after bookies slashed the odds on War & Peace actor James Norton becoming the next Bond, 007 himself - Daniel Craig - has reportedly ‘quit’ as the MI6 spy.

The 47-year-old will allegedly be joining the cast of Purity which will run for several seasons, each lasting 20 episodes.

UPDATE: The Independent has learnt that a decision on whether Craig will return as Bond has not been reached, but if he does appear in Purity it does not necessarily mean he will not be back to play Bond.

Before the release of Spectre, the actor infamously said he would rather ‘slash his wrists’ than play the spy again, yet since then he has looked more fondly on the role. As reported in The Sun, it seems like he may not be returning to the role.

Producers at Sony have, on several occasions, said they are hoping to woo Craig back to play Bond once more, yet there has been no confirmation he will be back.

Bond on screen through the years Show all 8 1 /8 Bond on screen through the years Bond on screen through the years Barry Nelson The first ever Bond on screen, Nelson played James Bond in 1954 in Climax! Casino Royale Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years Sean Connery The Scottish actor first played Bond in the 1962 'Dr. No'. He portrayed the secret agent from 1962 until 1967, although he reprised the role twice: once in 1971 for 'Diamonds Are Forever' and again in 1983 in 'Never Say Never Again' Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years David Niven Niven was 007 the time of one film; the 1967 'Casino Royale' Roy Jones/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years George Lazenby Lazenby played Bond in the 1969 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' Larry Ellis/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years Roger Moore Moore's Bond started with 'Live and Let Die', the 1973 film directed by Guy Hamilton. He was the face of 007 for 12 years, when his tenure finished with the 1985 'A View to a Kill' Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years Timothy Dalton Timothy Dalton was James Bond in 'The Living Daylights' and 'Licence to Kill' Mychele Daniau/AFP/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years Pierce Brosnan Brosnan took over the role in 1995 when he played the spy in 'GoldenEye'. He played in a total of four films, and his last time playing 007 was in 2002 'Die Another Day' Hulton Archive/Getty Images Bond on screen through the years Daniel Craig Daniel Craig was announced as the new James Bond in 2005. His first appearance as the secret agent was in the 2006 'Casino Royale'. He has since starred as Bond in 'Quantum of Solace' and 'Skyfall'. He is expected to appear once again on screen in 2015 for 'Bond 24' Greg Williams/Getty Images

Numerous actors are tipped to play the iconic role once Craig finishes, including Tom Hardy, Damian Lewis, Henry Cavil and Idris Elba.

Purity, meanwhile, is based on the novel by Jonathan Franzen, and tells the tale of a young woman raised in unusual circumstances in Northern Carolina.

Variety has also reported that Craig will star in the show, adding that a bidding war is currently ongoing for the series, with Showtime, FX and Netflix all interested.

However, there is no mention of Craig stepping away from Bond, and The Sun may have taken an unguided leap in claiming he will no longer play the spy.

Daniel Craig Awkward interview with This Morning.mp4