James Bond frontrunner Jack Lowden was mysteriously absent from a post announcing that Slow Horses would be renewed for an eighth series.
The 36-year-old Scottish actor has been hotly tipped to be cast as the next 007, with producers said to be "strongly considering" the star for the role.
His Slow Horses co-star Sir Gary Oldman, 68, claimed Lowden has already been chosen and the public will find out soon, adding that he has his fingers crossed.
Lowden was not included in an announcement post confirming that the show would return for an eighth season today, casting doubt on whether he would appear.
Sir Gary, who was nominated for lead actor in a drama series at the Emmys, is confirmed to be making a return as the grumpy but lovable Jackson Lamb. The announcement comes ahead of the release of series six tomorrow, with a seventh season confirmed last year.
Season Eight Storyline
Season eight "sees Jackson Lamb and Diana Taverner (Kristin Scott Thomas) face off in their most explosive confrontation yet", according to its synopsis. It adds: "When a botched attempt to blackmail the Park puts Taverner on the offensive, it is up to Lamb to unravel one of MI5's darkest secrets and put an end to it once and for all."
Jay Hunt, creative director of international at Apple TV, said: "Slow Horses continues to charm audiences all around the world and I'm delighted that Jackson Lamb and his gang of lovable misfits will be back for an eighth season."
"Their acerbic take on the high-octane world of espionage is completely unique," she added.
Oldman's Bond Claim
Sir Gary made the claim while talking about his Apple TV+ co-star on The Morning Show. "It's been rumored that he's on the shortlist," he told the Canadian programme. "We're going to find out pretty soon, aren't we? Because they have picked him."
The Oscar-winner clarified: "They have made their choice, but they have not announced it yet."
Speculation about who will take over as Bond from Daniel Craig has been rife for months and recently heightened after Amazon MGM Studios announced auditions were finally taking place in May.
The job of finding the next Bond now falls to casting director Nina Gold and director Denis Villeneuve.
Richard Osman Weighs In
Presenter Richard Osman has also hinted that he has been told who is likely to take on the role. Speaking to his co-host Marina Hyde on the latest episode of his podcast The Rest Is Entertainment, he said: "Someone told me for definite who the new Bond is the other day, but I mean that's happened before. The name I've heard is Jack Lowden."
Osman added: "It is definitely not a 'he's definitely got it' thing. He is definitely being strongly considered. I think he'd be amazing."
Ms Hyde agreed, pointing out that Lowden is "a good age". She added: "You have to have the longevity. They've got to do at least two movies, and he's a good age for it."
Osman said the actor has "real Daniel Craig energy", adding that he "is such a brilliant actor. Can be funny, can definitely do action. I mean, I think he'd be sensational."
Lowden's Other Roles
Lowden, who also had a role in Christopher Nolan's Second World War film Dunkirk, is set to star as Mr Darcy in Netflix's Pride and Prejudice adaptation, which will release later this year.
His wife, fellow actress Saoirse Ronan, 32, has previously backed Lowden for the role of 007.
