Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been the bookies’ favourite to be cast as the new James Bond for months now.
It all began after rumours were reported that he’d impressed Barbara Broccoli at a secret audition.
Other A-listers may brush aside such speculation but the 33-year-old has played it incredibly coy during an “awkward” new interview, where he tried to avoid talking about it and certainly wouldn’t deny that he was in the running to replace Daniel Craig.
Esquire claims they only mentioned the bookies’ Ladbrokes before the Kraven the Hunter star was talking over him and “pretending not to hear me”.
And when asked about what’s next for the actor, it became even more uncomfortable.
The reporter pointed out that he knew Taylor-Johnson could only say so much, to which the star replied: “It’s not really for me to say anything.” This was followed up with: “It’s not for you to say, as in it’s not decided? Or do you really not know?”
Then came silence from the Bond odds front runner before he gave what was described as a “C’mon, bro, I can’t talk about this right now answer.”
That was: “I’ve spent two years making Kraven. So all that hard work we put into trying to get that to where it is—that’s where I’m at right now.”
Yet he was persuaded to comment on his fellow odds favourite Henry Cavill and his chances of being cast as the new 007.
Without mentioning Bond, the reporter asked Taylor-Johnson if it was exciting for him to consider his future.
The star replied coyly: “I just focus on the things I can have in my hands right now. What’s in front of me right now.”
After an awkward pause, he’s asked by the journalist: “Does that mean, I ask, that I should bet on Henry Cavill?”
The actor, “staring at his lap”, replied: “I mean, if you’re a betting man. . . .”
As it stands Taylor-Johnson is 2-1 to be the next Bond and Cavill is right behind him on 3-1.