DAILY DIRT: Are we getting close to finding out who the new 007 will be?

If there is ever a James Bond Hall of Fame, Shirley Bassey has to be one of the inductees … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 851 of The Daily Dirt.

1. While we still await word on not only WHO will be the new James Bond, there has been some recent news escaping from those tight-lipped Brits on WHEN we might expect the new 007 film.

More and more signs seem to lean toward a new Bond being named at some point later this year, and “Bond 26” (the code name for the new flick) being in theaters by the end of 2025.

Here’s the latest from a flood of Bond-related stories I have sifted through in recent days:

The favorite to be the next 007?: Englishman Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 33, might be the betting favorite at this point. Taylor-Johnson is best known for his portrayal of the title character in “Kick-Ass” (2010) and its 2013 sequel, plus the Marvel Cinematic Universe role of Pietro Maximoff in “Avengers: Age of Ultron” (2015).

Others still believed to be in the running are Rege-Jean Page, Richard Madden, Tom Hardy and Tom Hiddleston. One of the favorites a few years ago, Henry Cavill, appears to have been axed because of his age (40). The James Bond role is now a 10-to-12 year commitment and developers have made no secret they are looking for the new Bond character to be younger than some of the past leading men.

The odds: The latest wagering odds from a number of British betting sites now have Taylor-Johnson as a solid 9/4 pick to be the next Bond. As they say, always follow the money.

The next Bond girl?: “Killing Eve” star Jodie Comer, 30, is currently the 6/4 favorite on betting sites to be the next female lead in Bond 26.

2. Keeping with today’s Bond them, here’s Rolling Stone magazine’s all-time top 10 007 theme songs — and don’t overlook the contributions of Shirley Bassey:

• 1. “Goldfinger,” by Shirley Bassey (“He’s the man, the man with the Midas touch … )
• 2. “Live And Let Die,” by Paul McCartney and Wings
• 3. “You Only Live Twice,” by Nancy Sinatra
• 4. “Skyfall,” by Adele
• 5. “Diamonds Are Forever,” by Shirley Bassey
• 6. “Nobody Does It Better,” by Carly Simon (from “The Spy Who Loved Me”)
• 7. “Thunderball,” by Tom Jones
• 8. “Four Your Eyes Only,” by Sheena Easton.
• 9. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service,” by the John Barry Orchestra
• 10. “Moonraker,” by Shirley Bassey

3. Want to feel a little bit older? The following country songs turn 30 years old this year. (Yeah, me too. Where DID the time go?)

“Shut Up and Kiss Me,” by Mary Chapin Carpenter: At this point in her career, there was no more popular female country star than Carpenter, and this might have been her best song.

“XXX’s and OOO’s,” by Trisha Yearwood: The only Yearwood song I would rank higher is “She’s In Love With The Boy.”

“She’s Not the Cheatin’ Kind,” by Brooks and Dunn: In their prime, every song released by this duo was tremendous. This one is no exception. This is one of the acts I regret never seeing in person.

“Little Less Talk,” by Toby Keith: No one, and I repeat no one, could sing a song about rejection with a better vindictive voice than Toby Keith.

“Third Rate Romance (Low-Rent Rendezvous),” by Sammy Kershaw: I always thought Kershaw would have been the perfect warm-up act for Keith. They sang similar songs, but in completely different tones.

Steve Thought O’ the Day – I would suggest listening to what Adrian Beltre, Todd Helton and Joe Mauer had to say about being elected to the MLB Hall of Fame. All three responses were heartfelt, and each one made me remember why baseball was, is and will always be the greatest game of them all.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. If you want to see what Cavill could be like as Bond watch “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” movie he did with Armie Hammer as well as his turn with Tom Cruise in “Mission Impossible – Fallout”. Too old, my ass.