The Jacob Elordi James Bond rumor has escalated quickly, moving from quiet audition chatter to reports that he has actually been offered the role, according to the celebrity gossip account DeuxMoi. If true, the Australian actor would follow George Lazenby as only the second performer from Australia to play 007.

Elordi would not be my first choice, but history suggests caution before rushing to judgment, especially after the “blond Bond?!” backlash surrounding Daniel Craig which now feels shortsighted in light of his acclaimed five film tenure. My greater concern is the apparent shift away from earlier claims that the next Bond would be a relative unknown, since Elordi boasts prominent roles across film and television and has achieved breakthrough success.

What ultimately matters is his performance, obviously and his work in the Wuthering Heights adaptation and other movies suggests he can handle an English accent. At 6 foot 5 inches tall, he would be the tallest Bond in franchise history and casting him would signal a bold, physically imposing new direction. Whether that scale translates into the nuance and authority the role demands remains the real question.