New Frontrunner For James Bond Role After Secret Audition?
Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Kick-Ass fame may be the new frontrunner to play the new James Bond after a successful screen test, according to a report.
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Could Aaron Taylor-Johnson be suiting up to be the next 007? According to The Sun, he is now a surprise frontrunner after insiders reported that he did a top-secret screen test to play James Bond. The insiders say that producers and Barbara Broccoli, one of the controlling interests of the film franchise, “loved him.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson becoming Bond would certainly be a surprise, as he hasn’t really been a part of the conversation until now. Various names like Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, Richard Madden, and Idris Elba have been talked about in the rumor mill, but rarely was Taylor-Johnson discussed as a candidate. Of course, not that he doesn’t have the chops to handle the role.
Maybe part of the reason that a lot of people don’t envision Taylor-Johnson in the role is that people likely aren’t used to hearing his native English accent. Some of his biggest roles in movies like Kick-Ass and Godzilla feature Aaron Taylor-Johnson speaking in an American accent. Even in Avengers: Age of Ultron he does more of an Eastern European accent, which also wouldn’t fit with the typical portrayal of Bond.
If you’re having trouble seeing Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the next Bond, you could check out his most recent movie Bullet Train. Taylor-Johnson does show off an English accent in that movie, as he is one of the various assassins on the titular Bullet Train. The kinetic action thriller also shows his action chops and stars a cast that includes Brad Pitt, Joey King, Brian Tyree Henry, Andrew Koji, Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Shannon, Bad Bunny, Sandra Bullock, Zazie Beetz, Logan Lerman, Masi Oka, and Karen Fukuhara.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is also the perfect age to take on a role like James Bond. At 32, that would give him plenty of time to star in various films before he would age out of the role. Presumably, the producers are going to want the next Bond to stick around for a long time, and casting an older actor might make that difficult.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be taking over the Bond role from Daniel Craig, who finally ended his tenure as the character in 2021’s No Time to Die. Daniel Craig first took over the role in 2006’s Casino Royale, meaning he played the character for over 15 years before finally giving it up. Craig was 38 when he filmed Casino Royale and starred in five films in total.
If Aaron Taylor-Johnson does end up taking the Bond role, that would be another major franchise for him to juggle. He’ll be joining Sony’s Spiderverse in the near future as the villainous Kraven the Hunter. Of course, if that ends up being like Morbius, he might not be in the role for an extended period of time.
There’s no official word at this time if Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be the next Bond, so take these rumors with a grain of salt. It’s likely there are still multiple actors in contention, even if the screen test for Taylor-Johnson did go well. With such a beloved and important franchise, the producers are probably going to take their time before making any final decisions.
