OK! Reveals Murderous New Role That Cost Glen Powell a Shot at Starring as Next James Bond

Glen Powell is leaning hard into blood-soaked indie territory with a new A24 thriller insiders tell OK! may have quietly ruled him out of contention for a future run as James Bond, despite years of speculation about his suitability for a glossy, family-friendly franchise.

Powell's latest movie is How to Make a Killing, an upcoming black comedy thriller in which he plays Becket Redfellow, a struggling New Yorker who discovers he is heir to a staggering $28 billion fortune.

The catch is brutally simple – seven wealthy relatives stand between him and the money.

According to the film's newly released trailer, Becket decides the most efficient solution is murder, embarking on a violent spree to "prune a few branches of the family tree."

The film, written and directed by Independent Spirit Award winner John Patton Ford, is loosely inspired by the 1949 British classic Kind Hearts and Coronets and marks another collaboration between Powell and the indie world.

Produced by A24, the studio behind Hereditary, Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Uncut Gems, the project also places the 37-year-old firmly in the kind of edgy, adult-focused cinema that has become his recent calling card.

A source close to casting discussions said Powell's increasingly dark choices are not going unnoticed.

"Glen is doing exactly what he wants creatively, but those indie roles and the level of violence he's embracing don't scream family-friendly franchise," the source said. "There's a feeling that playing murderous heirs and morally unhinged characters makes it harder to picture him fronting something like Bond, which still trades heavily on broad appeal. They have basically murdered his chances of becoming the next Bond, after he was once in serious running for the role."

In How to Make a Killing, Powell is shown wielding a shotgun, dodging gunfire, and dispatching relatives with chilling ingenuity, including one scene in which a victim is chained to an anchor and dropped into the ocean.

But the ultra-violence and horror involved have left 007 bosses squeamish, insiders tell us.

He stars opposite Jessica Henwick, with supporting roles from indie darlings Margaret Qualley and Topher Grace.

Industry insiders say the film underlines a pattern for Powell.

One said: "This is not a one-off. Glen has been gravitating toward projects that are weird, violent, or subversive. That's great for credibility, but it's exactly the kind of thing big studios get nervous about when they're looking for a long-term, all-ages global brand."

The timing is notable as Powell's star has rarely been higher. Over the past year, he led Edgar Wright's The Running Man alongside Josh Brolin, William H. Macy, and Michael Cera, and fronted the sports comedy series Chad Powers, which debuted at number one on Hulu and Disney+. He also hosted Saturday Night Live in November, delivering viral sketches and a monologue that leaned into his own pop culture past.

Another source said: "Bond isn't just about looking the part. It's about tone and perception. When audiences associate you with extreme violence or ironic, niche projects, studios worry about how that plays with kids, parents, and international markets."

But those close to Powell say he is unconcerned about getting involved in the upcoming Amazon reboot of the 007 franchise.

One insider said: "He's not chasing Bond. He's chasing interesting work, and right now that means A24, indie directors, and roles where he can take risks – even if that quietly closes certain other, bigger-money doors."