Is Aaron Taylor-Johnson the new James Bond?
Who will play the next James Bond?
Rumours are pointing towards a certain Brit.
By Hayley Peppin and Dani Maher
THE NAME'S BOND, James Bond. But the question on everyone's lips is,who is next in line to embody cinema's most iconic character?
Ever since Daniel Craig revealed in 2020 that he'd be hanging up the signature black tuxedo and relinquishing shaken martinis (on screen, at least) the Bond rumour mill has run rife. While Craig has previously stated he would rather "slash his wrists" than return as 007, it wasn't long before he signed up for 2021's No Time to Die. But after that, it was really time for goodbye.
I'm OK [with quitting Bond for good], Craig said. I don't think I would have been if I'd done the last film and that had been it. But this, I'm like, 'Let's go. Let's get on with it. I'm fine.'
And while saying goodbye to Bond is one thing, finding a new one is another. The franchise's producer Barbara Broccoli told Variety in April 2022: "It's going to take some time".
It's a big decision. It's not just casting a role. It's about a whole rethink about where we're going," she said.
So where will that "rethink" lead? Plenty of names have been thrown around-foremost among them, Aaron Taylor-Johnson-but none have yet been confirmed. Below, we round up a handful of the actors who could be the next 007.
Who will be the next James Bond?
Aaron Taylor-Johnson
According to multiple reports, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the front-runner for 007. The 32-year-old apparently secretly met with Bond producer Barbara Broccoli for an audition at Pinewood Studios back in November of 2023-and now, The Sun is reporting that the actor has been "formally offered the job".
An insider told the tabloid back in 2022: "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 front-runners.
Eon Productions, which produces the Bond franchise, responded by saying they don't comment on speculation, while another insider told the BBC that there is "no truth in the rumours".
Taylor-Johnson himself has responded graciously, telling Numro in March 2024, "I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment".
Taylor-Johnson debuted with teen rom-com Angus Thongs and Perfect Snogging in 2008, before gaining his big break with Nowhere Boy a year later. The John Lennon biopic caught the attention of Hollywood and it was also where he met his wife, Sam Taylor-Johnson who was the film's director. Since then, Taylor-Johnson starred in the action-comedy series Kick-Ass, Christopher Nolan's Tenet and Bullet Train, alongside Brad Pitt. Adding to his action resume, he will star in Marvel's Kraven the Hunter in 2024-and to prove he has the dramatic acting chops too, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in 2017 for his role in Nocturnal Animals.
Idris Elba
Idris Elba is the name that keeps popping up amid all the Bond chatter, and until recently, he was the bookies' favourite-before being overtaken by Taylor-Johnson. The 51-year-old actor, who was awarded an OBE (Order of the British Empire) in 2016, has actually been "part of the conversation" with those behind the Bond franchise. In early 2022, executive producer Barbara Broccoli shared on Deadline's Crew Call podcast that not only is she "friends" with Elba, but that his name has come up in discussions.
"Well, we know Idris, we're friends with him, and he's a magnificent actor," she said. "And, you know, it's been part of the conversation, but it's always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat."
A source also told The Sun in June 2022 that while Elba was initially being considered for a villain role in the franchise, market research tests showed he'd be a "popular" Bond choice among fans.
Idris has long been in talks to play a role in the next era of James Bond's story and last year was being considered for a role as an antagonist," the source began. However, talks surrounding him playing the lead have started again as producers realised how popular he would be after carrying out secret market research.
He ranked highly among the diverse group of movie buffs invited to participate in it."
That said, Elba himself has noted concerns about being aged out of the role, telling The Sun in 2022, "I am 50 this year. Let's say you sign up for three films-nobody wants to see Bond giving chase or beating up guys when he is 60.I am probably too old to take on the role now".
Harry Styles
Harry Styles has been paving his own path as a solo artist since his days in One Direction, appearing in 2017's Dunkirk, and more recently alongside Florence Pugh in Don't Worry Darling and Emma Corrin in My Policeman.
Marvel also cast him as a superhero in The Eternals tying him to an already epic franchise, which may also see him unavailable for the job. Nonetheless, famed celeb Instagram account Deuxmoi thinks otherwise-having received a tip-off from a secret source who emailed the account saying: "Harry Styles wants to be 007.
Production of the new James Bond film has started quietly, the source began. They have met with directors and writers. The plan is to go very young and word is Harry Styles is pushing his reps hard for the role. He may have already met the producers about the part.
Naturally, it goes without saying that Deuxmoi is famously unreliable, since it's based on crowd-sourced tips that could be entirely made up-so we're less convinced about this one.
Reg-Jean Page
Bridgerton fans may have been upset when Reg-Jean Page dismissed claims he was reprising his saucy role of the Duke of Hastings. "No, I'm not going back to the show btw the papers made that one up," Page captioned an Instagram post. But it could mean he's got his eyes set on a more serious role: 007.
Former Bond Pierce Brosnan has even publicly backed Page for the role, saying "I think he would be wonderful"-but the man himself has remained coy on the subject.
When British television host Graham Norton brought up Bond's casting during an episode of his talk-show in February 2021, Page responded: Bridgertonis the only 'B' word I am allowed to say-I am not going to talk about the other 'B' words!
Henry Golding
He broke out (and broke hearts) in Crazy Rich Asians back in 2018-and since then, Henry Golding has starred in A Simple Favour opposite Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick, the all-star action cast of The Gentlemen and rom-com Last Christmas, and even played the 'villain' in the Jane Austen adaptation Persuasion with Dakota Johnson. But now, Golding could become the first Bond of Asian descent.
The British-Malaysian broke his silence on Bond rumours during an interview in November 2019. He humbly responded by simply saying: "Even to be in that conversation, it's an honour, but it's out of my hands". Yet, a month later Golding provided more thoughts on the iconic role. He candidly said that while diversifying Bond "is great" it shouldn't necessarily "be a factor".
"[Diversity] shouldn't be a factor at all. I think Bond represents something that we've all sort of grown up with, and that's a man of substance. A man who has stoic properties and is a protector, has a sensitive side," Golding began during an interview with Radio Times.
"I think you have to do justice to the source material. He's such an iconic character, so I wouldn't say that there should be any pressure. But I think they will choose the right person for the role. So be it Black, Asian, Latino, mixed anything, as long as they have the attributes that they can bring to the screen. I think that is what the fans really want."
Tom Hardy
Another Bond bookies favourite-even before No Time to Die premiered, Tom Hardy was unofficially dubbed the next 007. In September 2020, it was reported that Hardy had in fact been cast after apparently auditioning in June, and that he was set to be unveiled as Bond following Craig's final stint. Except, as we know, that never happened. Nonetheless, the 46-year-old still remains a front-runner.
Hardy already has an impressive filmography, which includes action blockbusters like Christopher Nolan's Inception, The Revenant and Mad Max. While some suggest his physicality and rugged appearance emulates the traditional Bond aesthetic Hardy himself has been firm to shut down rumours.
"There's a saying amongst us in the fraternity of acting… that if you talk about it [Bond rumours], you're automatically out of the race. So I can't possibly comment on that one!
Taron Egerton
While Taron Egerton is one of the most popular actors in the UK, he doesn't think he's the "right choice" to play James Bond (although, we beg to differ). The Kingsman star quashed any rumours he'll be playing the iconic character in an interview with The Telegraph in 2023.
"I don't think I'm the right choice for it," Egerton began before explaining it has to do with his own body image. "You have to be consistently statuesque to be that guy. And that's something that I am still striving for. I've always struggled with my weight."
The 33-year-old also revealed some of his other Bond reservations,such as the idea of being a "brand ambassador" as opposed to simply playing a role. He explained, it's "a bit like being a brand ambassador as well as being an actor. And that could be really fun in microcosm, but I'm sure I read that [producer] Barbara Broccoli said that it's a 15-year commitment".
In the end though, Egerton added "it's sort of irrelevant how I feel about it, anyway, because I can tell you there have been zero phone calls".
The post Is Aaron Taylor-Johnson the new James Bond? appeared first on Harper's Bazaar Australia.
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