Speculation over who the next James Bond will be has been rife over the last few years since Daniel Craig exited the 007 franchise so explosively in No Time To Die. It’s been almost 20 years since the last round of Bond auditions and according to reports they’ve already been happening in secret with Kick-Ass and Avengers: Age of Ulton star Aaron Taylor-Johnson being the frontrunner.
The 32-year-old is certainly the right age to be starting a career as Bond and has a ton of experience in action cinema, most recently co-starring in Bullet Train with Brad Pitt.
Taylor-Johnson is also on the cusp of being an A-lister, having only previously starred in smaller movies and supported big ones. Although with Kraven the Hunter out later this year, that’s all about to change, so now is the perfect time for him to be cast as the new 007. And according to insiders, he’s certainly headed that way.
According to The Sun, sources previously said: “Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September and producers and Barbara [Broccoli] loved him. He is now one of the front-runners… Aaron has impressed bosses so much that he has filmed one of the franchise’s famous gun barrel teaser scenes, something all the Bond actors do. That move takes him a step closer to signing a deal. Bosses at the brand were really impressed with his unique blend of acting intensity and his impressive back catalogue of action films.”
Rumour has it that Taylor-Johnson will be announced as the new Bond as soon as March. And now for the first time since all this 007 buzz began swirling around him, the actor himself has spoken out and it’s all sounding very positive.
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Taylor-Johnson leads the next Bond odds on 5-2 alongside Henry Cavill, who was Craig’s runner-up in the Casino Royale auditions 18 years ago. Just behind them are James Norton on 7-2, Regé-Jean Page on 6-1, Tom Hardy on 7-1 and Jack Lowden on 10-1.
Fingers crossed an announcement is only a few weeks away as those rumours suggest.
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