Vin Diesel backs Scots Outlander star Sam Heughan to be the next James Bond

Hollywood action hero Vin Diesel has backed his Bloodshot co-star Sam Heughan’s chances of being the next James Bond.

Daniel Craig, 52, has insisted the now delayed No Time To Die will be his last outing as 007, leaving one of the most sought after roles in film up for grabs.

Scottish star Heughan – best known for appearing in Highlands-based time-travel drama Outlander – is among the names regularly linked with the job.

And Diesel – who stars alongside Heughan in comic book movie Bloodshot – believes he is capable of filling Craig’s shoes.

He told the PA news agency: “Of course he’d make a good James Bond. He’d make a good anything.”

No Time To Die will be Craig’s fifth Bond film and he has insisted it will be his last, despite reports suggesting he was interested in a possible sixth.

Before the release of 2015’s Spectre, his fourth 007 movie, Craig famously said he would rather “rather slash my wrists” than reprise the role.

Alongside 39-year-old Heughan, other actors mentioned as possible Craig replacements include The Bodyguard’s Richard Madden, McMafia’s James Norton and Luther’s Idris Elba.

Heughan plays a modified super soldier in Bloodshot and director David S F Wilson agreed with Diesel and said he would be a perfect fit for Bond.

“I would be there opening weekend for Sam as James Bond,” he said at the film’s premiere in Los Angeles.

“Sam is one of the nicest human beings I have ever worked with. Consummate professional, everybody loves him, very gracious with his talents.

“He’s a lovely, lovely gentleman and if he should make the cut I will be there opening weekend, for sure.”

Wilson added: “When we were casting, I was a big fan of Sam’s to begin with, and his audition tape was just there with everyone else’s, which was bizarre to me. He didn’t even have to audition, he was just on the list of people I wanted in my movie.”

Bloodshot is set to arrive in UK cinemas on March 13.