‘Kick Ass’ star Aaron Taylor-Johnson is apparently the favorite to become the next James Bond if a new report is to be believed.
The following comes from The Sun, so it should be taken with a grain of salt. According to the report, Taylor-Johnson “impressed Bond franchise boss Barbara Broccoli during her trial at Pinewood Studios.”
“Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September and the producers and Barbara loved him,” an insider added. “He is now one of the favourites.
2021 no time to die marked the end of Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond, with Craig’s 007 meeting his demise. The shock ending brought the final era of Bond to a fairly definitive conclusion. The hunt is now on for a new Bond as producers prepare to reinvent the franchise.
The next James Bond will be in his thirties
Johnson seems like the right fit considering he’s only 32 and producers are looking for someone in his early 30s.
“We have tried to look at young people in the past. But trying to visualize it doesn’t work,” James Bond producer Michal G. Wilson recently told Deadline. “Remember, Bond is already a veteran. He has some experience. He is a person who has been through wars, so to speak. He was probably in the SAS or something.
Wilson added, “He’s not a kid out of high school that you can bring in and start. That’s why it works for a 30-something.
Another clue came from a recent event in Los Angeles where The Hollywood Reporter caught up with James Bond producer and sitter Barbara Broccoli.
“When we get to a point, like we are now, we have to think about the trajectory of Bond films and storylines and where we want to take them,” Broccoli said. “So that’s really the main focus at the start. Once we have an idea of where we want to go, we’ll start thinking about casting.
Broccoli added, “We don’t just pick someone for a movie. We’re casting someone, hopefully, for a decade, at least. It’s a big decision to make, and we’re a long way from making that decision.
Daniel Craig has wowed Bond fans with his more grounded take on 007 during his 15 years in the role. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson certainly have their work cut out for them in their search for Craig’s replacement and it looks like the franchise’s newest star will have to be around for the long haul.
Taylor-Johnson was most recently seen in ‘Bullet Train’ opposite Brad Pitt and has a Sony Marvel movie Kraven the hunter release scheduled for October 6, 2023.
