It’s been reported that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson met with the producers of the James Bond series, but whether or not the Kick-Ass star will be the next to play the role remains unconfirmed.
Matthew Belloni of Puck News reported that Taylor-Johnson met with James Bond series producer Barbara Broccoli to discuss the role. “The meeting went well,” Belloni said, citing sources.
The report goes on to say that Taylor-Johnson, who is 32, fits the mold for what Broccoli is looking for–that is, a British man on the younger side who is “accomplished but not particularly famous.” Taylor-Johnson is set to star in the Spider-Man spinoff Kraven the Hunter and Universal’s The Fall Guy opposite Ryan Gosling. Belloni said Taylor-Johnson might become too famous to play James Bond if those two films end up performing well.
In any event, if it’s true that Taylor-Johnson met with Broccoli, he’s probably one of many actors taking meetings over the role. This is all part of the casting process.
Broccoli said in a previous interview that the next James Bond movie will be a “reinvention” of the character, and it could take some time to find the right person. “It’s about a reinvention, and, ‘Where are we taking it? What do we want to do with the character?'” she said. “And then, once we figure that out, who’s the right person for that particular reinvention?”
Broccoli and co-producer Michael G. Wilson have also said they “love” Idris Elba, but whether or not he’s in the running for James Bond is unknown.
Daniel Craig, the most recent actor to play James Bond, commented that a woman should probably not play James Bond next because “there should simply be better parts for women and actors of color.”
2022 marked the 60th anniversary of the James Bond series. Outside of the films, the developers of the Hitman video game franchise are making a James Bond game that will tell an original origin story for the British superspy.