At this point, there is no arguing over who is going to take home the Best Actor award at the 96th Academy Awards. Fans are practically putting their money on Cillian Murphy, given the sky-high odds. Murphy has been cleaning up at all the major award shows and has become a favorite among critics and industry bigwigs. Even though there is some tough competition with some amazing performances this year, nothing quite matches the buzz around Oppenheimer and its leading man.

There is, however, more than just accolades riding on this potential Oscar win for Murphy. This milestone could be the Irish actor’s foot in the door to becoming a wealthy big shot in the industry.

Cillian Murphy is getting ready for a substantial bump in his net worth

Having scooped up wins at both the Screen Actors Guild Awards and the Globes, it looks like the Oppenheimer star is on a roll towards the top spot in acting. Recently, Business Plus reported, as per various experts’ estimations, Murphy’s future film earnings could surge by an average of 60% to 81% with this Oscar win. However, Fionnuala Halligan, executive editor of Screen International, warned against putting too much stock in these figures, considering factors like Murphy’s choices post-win.

Halligan suggests that this surge in his market value relies heavily on the actor’s choice of blockbuster franchises like Mission Impossible or James Bond. In fact, his fee could skyrocket by 80% if he chooses to jump on board such projects. However, like many other experts, she doubts Murphy would compromise his artistic vision for monetary gains. Nonetheless, the actor does not seem to have entirely ruled out the possibility of joining franchises like James Bond, having openly discussed his interest in it last year.

Following the release of Oppenheimer, Cillian Murphy shared his take on the upcoming James Bond movie, which was earlier rumored to have Christopher Nolan’s involvement.

Murphy responded to the query about his preferred James Bond character

When Cillian Murphy sat down for an interview with Josh Horowitz last year, the Irish actor fielded a question about which role he would pick in Christopher Nolan’s speculated James Bond film. While he declined to speak on behalf of the director, the Inception actor admitted uncertainty regarding his role. Instead, he deferred to Nolan, stating, “Let’s see what Chris comes up with“.

Cillian Murphy and Christopher Nolan have teamed up many times for projects Dunkirk, Inception, and Batman Begins. Now, if the director hops on the James Bond franchise with Cillian Murphy, it could be Murphy’s ticket to the big leagues, potentially padding his pockets as an actor. Still, even if that does not pan out, Murphy’s brand will anyway get a bump after Oppenheimer and the Oscar win, though maybe not quite the whopping 80 per cent hike the experts are talking about.

What do you think about Cillian Murphy’s hike in financial value? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!