In the same month Oppenheimer director and the king of high-concept, Christopher Nolan, raised his hand for the next James Bond movie, Matthew Vaughn (X-Men: First Class, Kingsman) has reportedly been named a frontrunner to helm the forthcoming reboot.
The latest tidbit from the ongoing industry rumour mill comes courtesy of “trusted and proven sources” who have anonymously made a name for themselves by correctly informing entertainment publication Giant Freakin’ Robot on several occasions.
But I suppose we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?
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It’s fascinating to note Matthew Vaughn has several links to the cinematic universe of James Bond (both tenuous and concrete) beyond being the filmmaker behind Kingsman.
For one, he famously collaborated with retired 007 Daniel Craig in the criminally underrated Layer Cake — one of the flicks which many believe was integral in the actor’s campaign to eventually securing the coveted gig for Casino Royale.
For another, he’s directed/is currently directing two fellow “top candidates” for Bond: Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Kick-Ass duology) and Henry Cavill (emerging all-star spy franchise Argylle). In fact, Vaughn has previously championed the latter in this specific regard.
“I needed someone who was born to play Bond — which Henry is — and then nick him before Bond did,” Matthew Vaughn explained of casting Cavill in Argylle (via The Hollywood Reporter).
“I think it would be very exciting to have a conversation with the producers… In an ideal world, I’d never have to turn anything down. Nothing is off the table. It’s an honour to even be part of that conversation.”
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Elsewhere, Vaughn voiced his doubts about being tapped to steer the ship: “I don’t think the Bond people would touch me with a stick. I don’t think… They don’t like me. I don’t know. You know, to be blunt. I love Bond. It’s obviously a huge influence on me… You wait till you see Argylle.“
At this stage, however, we have just as much clarity about the next James Bond movie’s director as we do about the next James Bond himself (none).
Matthew Vaughn’s Argylle starring Henry Cavill, Sam Rockwell, Bryce Dallas Howard, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Samuel L. Jackson, and even Dua Lip, on the other hand, is scheduled to premiere on February 2nd of 2024.
