It might be a little while before we learn the identity of the next James Bond, but we already know it won’t be Taron Egerton.
The British thespian of Kingsman and Apple TV+’s Tetris movie fame has recently suggested the proverbial train has left the equally proverbial station without him:
“Yeah. I mean, I think they’ve already got someone… and it’s not me.”
The revelation comes amidst conflicting reports that “nobody’s in the running” all the while industry insiders indicate Aaron Taylor-Johnson is currently the top choice.
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“[Aaron Taylor-Johnson] went for a screen test to be the next James Bond in September and producers and [Barbara Broccoli] loved him. He is now one of the front-runners,” one such insider told The Sun last December.
Beyond Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s extremely solid acting resume and star power potential, the handsome face you will have probably encountered in Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Nocturnal Animals, Tenet, and Bullet Train certainly fits the criteria as previously outlined by veteran Bond producers Barbara Broccoli (daughter of Cubby Broccoli) and Michael G. Wilson (half-brother of Barbara).
“We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualise it doesn’t work,” Michael G. Wilson recently explained, effectively striking out previous betting favourite Tom Holland in the process.
“Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through the wars, so to speak.”
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“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.”
Barbara Broccoli added: “He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].”
Still, whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson eventually becomes the next James Bond or not, it’ll be another a few years before we see anything on screens.
“We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond,” said Broccoli.
“We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away.”
Side note: Taron Egerton might not land the role of James Bond, but perhaps he still has a chance to don the adamantium claws for the MCU.
