Summary
The nextJames Bondcould be played byAvengers 2andKraven the Hunterstar Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and new fan art imagines what the actor could look like when suited up as 007.
Since Daniel Craig retired from theJames Bondrole afterNo Time to Diewas released in 2021, fans have been eager to know who will take over the 007 role. Several rumored contenders and fan favorites have been named in the years since, including Taylor-Johnson, who was touted as apotential frontrunner for the James Bond roleat least as early as 2022.
Those rumors resurfaced when it was recently reported thatTaylor-Johnson was offered the James Bond roleand was likely to accept. In response, Digital artistspdrmnkyxxiiicreated a new image depicting a clean-shaveTaylor-Johnson suited up as 007with a gun in hand. In addition to seemingly providing a potential title for James Bond’s next movie (Need to Know), the artist offered an assessment of who should direct 007’s upcoming adventure. “Wouldn’t be my first pick but still is a solid cast. ATJ has the charisma to pull it off really well,” they wrote. “I just really need Christopher Nolan to direct the next Bond movie. Nolan and ATJ have worked on Tenet together so possible?”
While Taylor-Johnson may be best known for hissuperhero roles inKick-Ass,Avengers: Age of Ultron, and the upcomingKraven the Hunter, he’s also delved into action-oriented roles withTenet,Bullet Train, and the upcoming action comedyThe Fall Guys. However, he’s also tackled more dramatic roles that demonstrated his acting range, including the character Ray Marcus in 2016’sNocturnal Animals, for which he won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor. So, while many may agree with spdrmnkyxxiii about Taylor-Johnson not being their first choice, it’s difficult to deny the actor has proven talent to do the role justice.
Nearly everyone has an opinion on who should be the next James Bond actor,including former 007 Pierce Brosnan, who recently toutedOppenheimerstar and Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy as a worthy candidate. So, whoever replaces Daniel Craig as James Bond will likely not please everybody after they are cast. However, when he landed the role, Craig was a controversial choice for James Bond. Most fans didn’t warm up to Craig as James Bond until they saw his performance as 007 inCasino Royale.Since, most fans have ranked him highly on the list of the best James Bond actors, with some believing he’s the best person to play the character since Sean Connery. So, while some aren’t thrilled about Taylor-Johnson potentially playing James Bond, he could still win over skeptics once they finally see him in the role.
Of course, as of this writing, Taylor-Johnson being offered the James Bond role hasn’t been confirmed by anyone involved with the 007 franchise. While producer Barbara Broccoli previously saidAI won’t be used to bring back former James Bond actors, there hasn’t been any official word on who the filmmakers have in mind to play 007. If the rumors about Taylor-Johnson likely accepting the offer soon are true, fans won’t have to wait long for official word. However, if the rumors are incorrect or Taylor-Johnson turns down the alleged offer, fans could wait a while to seeJames Bondreturn.
