Cal Gaunt
Marvel actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has reportedly met with producers to discuss becoming the next James Bond.
Since Daniel Craig announced that 2021’s No Time to Die would be his last time in the role, rumours have been rife over who will play the spy next.
Early frontrunners to replace him have included Superman star Henry Cavill and Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean.
While producers recently said that fan favourite Idris Elba was ‘too old’ take on the role.
However, it’s now been revealed that Taylor-Johnson, 32, ‘fits the bill’.
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And that could have something to do with the fact that the actor – best known for playing Dave Lizewski in Kick-Ass (2010) and Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2013) – has allegedly met and spoken to producers already.
According to a new Puck report from Matthew Belloni, producers are keen on making the Bullet Train star the series’ seventh Bond actor.
He wrote: “And, obviously, the granddaddy of casting coups: James Bond.
“The Aaron Taylor-Johnson rumours are true – he sat with producer Barbara Broccoli, and the meeting went well, per sources.”
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Despite a promising start to discussions, it might not all be plain sailing for the Tenet actor, though.
Belloni explained: “While Taylor-Johnson fits the bill – great actor, British, fits the younger direction the Broccolis want to go, accomplished but not particularly famous – he’s about to be a much bigger star.
“If Sony’s Spider-Man spinoff Kraven the Hunter or Universal’s Ryan Gosling two-hander The Fall Guy works, Taylor-Johnson might end up, ironically, too famous to take on Bond.”
Belloni did say, though, that the meeting between James Bond producers and Taylor-Johnson was a positive one.
In November, it was reported that the Anna Karenina actor impressed Bond boss Barbara Broccoli during an audition at Pinewood Studios.
An alleged insider told The Sun: “Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September and producers and Barbara loved him.
“He is now one of the frontrunners.”
Nothing official has yet been confirmed from EON Productions on when the next Bond film might be made or released, but it’s said to be unlikely to go into production until 2024 ‘at the earliest’.
So, while Taylor-Johnson is heavily backed by the bookies, it may be some time before fans get to find out if he will become the next 007.
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Broccoli and fellow producer Michael G Wilson have previously made it clear that young actors – under 30 years old – would be out of the running, as per their conditions for the role.
Wilson told Deadline: “Remember, Bond’s already a veteran, he’s had some experience.
“He’s a person who has been through the wars.
“He’s probably been in the SAS or something, he isn’t some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off – that’s why it works for a 30-something.”
Taylor-Johnson’s breakout role was in the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy (2009).
It was directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson, 55, who he married three years after the movie premiered.
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