Speculation over which actor will take on the role of James Bond has been mounting once again, after reports British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the role. The Sun has reported the Kick-Ass and Marvel films actor has been 'formally offered the job' as the 007 spy, formerly played by Daniel Craig, who left the role in 2021 after starring in five films over 16 years.
The BBC has approached Taylor-Johnson. Eon Productions, which makes the Bond films, has said they don't comment on speculation; however, a production insider has told BBC News there is 'no truth in the rumours'. Taylor-Johnson recently told Numero magazine he found it 'charming and wonderful that people see me in that role', when asked about the rumours naming him as the next Bond.
The actor, 33, who starred as John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy in 2009, is now favourite with the bookmakers to play the role. He also starred in thriller Nocturnal Animals, which he won a Golden Globe for in 2017, Anna Karenina, Godzilla and Tenet.
Over the past three years there has been no shortage of names being thrown into the mix for who would follow Craig, widely seen as a tough act to follow. One of the current favourites is Superman and Mission: Impossible actor Henry Cavill, who told GQ in 2020 that he 'would love to play Bond, it would be very, very exciting'. Other names mentioned include Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Chris Evans, James Norton, and Damson Idris.
Producers do not necessarily choose the biggest name for the role; after all, Daniel Craig's name was not at the forefront in the year after Pierce Brosnan's final Bond film in 2002. Speaking of Brosnan, he recently told the BBC that his fellow Irishman and Oscar winner Cillian Murphy would make a 'magnificent' 007. Brosnan has also previously said that Bridgerton heartthrob Regé-Jean Page would make a 'wonderful' Bond.
