Regé-Jean Page Addresses Latest James Bond Rumors After Stunning Bridgerton Exit

As Bridgerton fans continue to be both shaken and stirred that Regé-Jean Page is not returning for the second season, the actor is weighing in on those persistent rumors about him possibly landing a certain iconic role.

Regé-Jean spoke with The Mirror in an interview published Tuesday, April 6, during which he was asked about speculation that he might be in line to replace Daniel Craig as the next James Bond.

"Ah, the 'B' word," the 31-year-old actor told the outlet about the beloved spy character. "I think that if you are British, and you do anything of note that other people take notice of, then people will start talking about that."

He continued, "I think that's fairly normal, and I'm flattered to be in the category of Brits that people have noticed."

Regé-Jean, who rocketed to stardom as the Duke of Hastings in Netflix's wildly popular series, clearly wasn't in the mood to break any news and added cagily, "Nothing more—or less—than that."

Everything to Know About Bridgerton Season 2

He also pointed out that the coronavirus pandemic has made it hard for him to plan too much into the future. "I think the concept of having plans in this moment in history is mildly hilarious," the star admitted. "So I've given up on making them."

On April 2, Bridgerton's Instagram account posted a statement saying that the show is bidding "adieu" to him, adding, "We'll miss Simon's presence onscreen, but he will always be a part of the Bridgerton family."

Regé-Jean himself took to Instagram later that day to confirm his departure, calling the role the "ride of a life time."

The stunning news of his exit led British bookmakers to slash the odds of him becoming Bond, putting him neck-and-neck with such A-listers as Tom Hardy, according to British media outlets.

Even before it was revealed that he would not return to Bridgerton, Regé-Jean had been fielding queries about possibly trying on Bond's tux. "If you're a Brit, and you do something of any kind of renown that people regard well, then people start saying the 'B' word," he told Jimmy Fallon in January, echoing his recent remarks to The Mirror.

Meanwhile, his dance card has steadily been filling up, Bond or not. In March, Regé-Jean began filming the Netflix thriller The Gray Man opposite Chris Evans and Ryan Gosling. He is also set to appear with Chris Pine and Hugh Grant in a forthcoming Dungeons & Dragons film adaptation, which has a release date of May 2022.

In other words, there will still be plenty of ways to see him smoldering on-screen, even if he may or may not be doing it with a martini in hand.