If you're trying to piece together who will be the next James Bond, there are plenty of clues – they just all point to different actors.

The true answer to the conundrum may be imminent, however, as The Mail on Sunday can confirm the final round of auditions is taking place this month.

The spy franchise's casting director, Nina Gold, is said to be whittling down the shortlist of would-be 007s in London.

While the names are shrouded in secrecy, sources have claimed the number of actors in the running is between 'five to seven' at this late stage. 

Top contenders are said to include Master Of The Air star Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Marvel fame, Bridgerton's Jonathan Bailey and – most recently – Slow Horses' Jack Lowden.

But could a flurry of sponsorship deals offer fans vital leads as to who will replace Daniel Craig in the tuxedo? Several of the actors named in connection to the role have taken on deals to front brands associated with 007.

Experts say the deal British actor Turner, 36 – who wed pop star Dua Lipa this summer – signed to front the spy's preferred whisky, Johnnie Walker, is a hint. In the last Bond film, 2021's No Time To Die, a bottle of Johnnie Walker was visible in the spy's Jamaican villa.

Meanwhile, Taylor-Johnson has recently become global ambassador for Omega, the watchmaker whose time-pieces have appeared in nine Bond films. And Bailey has signed a deal with Martini, the tipple 007 orders shaken not stirred.

Media expert, Mark Borkowski, told The Mail on Sunday: 'What we're seeing is a string of calculated PR moves. None of these brands have signed the actors by accident, they know they could be the future 007.

'The question of who might be the next Bond creates massive speculation, and betting is always hot, but if you are a brand and you have managed to do a deal with a potential Bond, and that Bond gets chosen, it's quids in. It's a punt for companies but if they get it right, Christmas has come early.

'As for the actors, they get visibility and are seen to fit the bill which entices directors towards them. Casting directors don't have to picture them in the role anymore, it's right there for them.'

One Bond hopeful who may have dented his chances is Lowden, 36. The Slow Horses star fronted an ad campaign for Mini Cooper last summer – a marque some way removed from 007's Aston Martin.

The next Bond is expected to be confirmed by the end of the year, which would allow Amazon MGM, which now controls the Bond franchise, to start filming the next movie in 2027. Confirming that the audition process was reaching an end, Bond producer Amy Pascal has said: 'I would say the end of the year is a good bet.'

Casting director Ms Gold is understood to have been meeting with candidates since June. Other names in the mix include Happy Valley star James Norton, Spider-Man actor Tom Holland and The Gentlemen's Theo James.