Actor Eddie Marsan took to Twitter on Monday to playfully announce he had been asked to play the next James Bond as he shared a photo of himself in a wetsuit while performing the role of fraudster John Darwin.
The 53-year-old has been praised for his latest role in the ITV series The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe, which is based on a true story.
As Episode 2 aired last night, the actor, who plays con man John, who desperately needs financial help and resorts to faking his death so he and his family can claim the money from life insurance, took to Twitter to jokingly share the news.
Iconic: Eddie Marsan took to Twitter on Monday to playfully announce that he had been asked to play the next James Bond as he posed in a wetsuit as he played the man character in john darwin canoe
The actor shared a photo of himself posing in a wetsuit from the ITV drama showing off his physique while introducing himself as the new 007.
After Danial Craig hung up his “license to kill,” Eddie said he was ready to step in and fill the iconic role.
He joked: “I’ve been keeping this quiet for a while but now I’m so relieved to finally announce… that I’ve been asked [sic] to be the new Bond.

Find the difference! Fans compared the actor to former Bond icon Sean Connery (right)


Big boots to fill: Eddie shared a photo of himself posing in a wetsuit from the ITV drama showcasing his physique while introducing himself as the new 007
Fans were quick to respond and accept the banter, with several comments: “Basildon Bond?” and others joking: “You’ve always been the bookmakers’ favourite!” Welcome, the new 007.5!’
Others seemed delighted: “Yes I knew it, now collect my winnings from the bookmakers!”
One fan even compared Eddie to Sean Connery in a wetsuit telling the star they were clearly “separated at birth…”



New Role: Fans were quick to respond and accept the jokes, with several commenting: “Basildon Bond?”
It prompted others to add, “It’s weird, if Connery didn’t wear a chest wig, you’d never make them out.”
In the past, Daniel Craig, who is passing the torch, has revealed his direct advice to whoever gets the role: “Don’t be an asshole!” he told Radio 1’s Becoming Bond: A Daniel Craig Special.
No pressure for Eddie if he gets the opportunity to step in and fill the iconic role.


Real life: Eddie plays John in the new series, who, along with his wife Anne, tried to convince the world that John had disappeared while canoeing, but was scolded by a photo of them in a Panama estate agent in July 2006 (photo on the right))
The Thief, His Wife and The Canoe is based on a true story that follows the lives of John, played by Eddie, and Anne Darwin, played by Monica Dolan, who found themselves in deep debt in the 2000s.
John worked as a prison officer and decided to pretend he had disappeared at sea so that he and his wife could claim his life insurance money.
Anne was forced to convince her sons that their father had indeed disappeared and the scam appeared to work for several years, until the couple were discovered on the internet after a picture was taken of them four years later John’s supposed death.

Time to move on: Daniel Craig, who is passing the torch to Bond, has revealed his direct advice to anyone cast in the role: “Don’t be a dick!” he says (pictured in the 2012 film, Skyfall)

Ready to step into the shoes of 007? No pressure for Eddie if he gets the opportunity to step in and fill the iconic role (pictured in 2019)