James Bond former casting boss exposes key requirement for next 007 in huge blow to current frontrunners

Now 74 and retired, Ms McWilliams has made her position on the rumoured frontrunners abundantly clear - and it's not exactly a glowing endorsement for some of the bigger names in the running.

"I don't want to see any of them as James Bond," she told The Independent, explaining that the widespread public familiarity with these actors should disqualify them from consideration.

Ms McWilliams believes maintaining an air of mystery around the actor portraying Bond is fundamental to the character's appeal.

"It is absolutely essential that he retains a total enigma," she explained. "We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that's what spies are."

The former casting director elaborated that excessive public knowledge about an actor's private life undermines the suspension of disbelief required for the role.

"We don't need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives. We never want to see him at home," she said.

"And a vital element of the whole thing is his job description. He's licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don't, then you've lost the audience."

Ms McWilliams pointed to her previous casting choices as evidence that relative obscurity benefits Bond actors.

"Timothy and Pierce weren't particularly well known," she noted. "Daniel had had a career in independent films and a fairly colourful romantic life beforehand, but he wasn't a household name, and that helps enormously."

For the next 007, she expressed a clear preference: "I want to see somebody who is completely out of the blue."

The search for Mr Craig's successor is now being overseen by Nina Gold, whose credits include Game of Thrones and The Crown, as well as five Star Wars films.

And it appears Ms McWilliams may be on to something, as it was reported earlier this month that bosses had been auditioning lesser-known actors for the role.

As a result, British actor Scott Rose-Marsh has emerged as an unlikely candidate for the part, according to bookmakers, as has former 50/1 outsider Louis Partridge.

Meanwhile, Denis Villeneuve, director of the Dune films, will helm Bond 26, working from a screenplay by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.

Amy Pascal and David Heyman have joined as producers on the project, which marks a new chapter for the franchise under Amazon MGM Studios' creative control.

The studio confirmed in May that auditions were underway, with Deadline reporting earlier this month that candidates have been informed about a second round of auditions scheduled for later this summer.

"While we don't plan to comment on specific details during the casting process, we're excited to share more news with 007 fans as soon as the time is right," Amazon MGM Studios stated.