New James Bond actor revealed as 007 First Light launch date confirmed
The name's Morgan. Dexter Morgan.
There's a new Bond in town. No, not the big screen Villeneuve Bond. The little screen gamer Bond.
In a 30-minute gameplay showcase on Wednesday 3rd September, 007 First Light developer IO Interactive showed off a lengthy section of the game including stealthy infiltrations and a car chase.
But perhaps more importantly, the showcase finally revealed the long-speculated identity of the actor who will voice this young Bond, although some super sleuths had already worked it out.
Yes, that's right, Patrick Gibson will voice the 26-year-old not-yet-007 on his mission to acquire that 007 status.
The 30-year-old Irish actor, who has previously appeared in Dexter: Original Sin, The OA, and Shadow and Bone among others, is a surprising name for many, with the Bond brand more synonymous with bigger stars.
Narrative director Martin Emborg disagrees, however, explaining why a smaller-name actor was the perfect choice for First Light's Bond: "The way that works is less about looking for who becomes our Bond.
"Who can shoulder this young version of the character? And I think working with big names is a different exercise. It's not finding the character as much as saying, 'Oh, wouldn't it be cool if so-and-so were Bond?' I don't think that was super attractive at any point, actually."
Gibson's Bond is joined by a slew of Bond's iconic supporting cast, each of whom has also had their actors confirmed.
Lennie James (The Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead) as Greenway, Priyanga Burford (Steeltown Murders, Innocent) as M, Kiera Lester (Death in Paradise) as Moneypenny, Alastair Mackenzie (Andor, The Crown, Monarch of the Glen) as Q, and Noémie Nakai (Tokyo Vice, Army of Thieves) as Miss Roth round off the main cast.
Alongside the gameplay showcase and actor confirmations, IO Interactive also revealed the game's release date, with 007 First Light scheduled to hit PC and console on 27th March 2026.
While the hunt for gaming's next Bond is over, the same cannot be said for Denis Villeneuve's upcoming takeover of the franchise.
Speculation as to who the next Bond could be is rampant, with the likes of Tom Holland have weighed in on whether they'd take on the role.
For more on 007 First Light, you can take a look at our exclusive interview with First Light franchise director Jonathan Lacaille.
007 First Light releases on Friday 27th March 2026 for PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2.
Check out more of our Gaming coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
