It appears a new agent is ready to carry the mantle of “007.”
According to a new report from the U.K. edition of The Sun, former Marvel villain-turned-superhero actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the role of iconic British super spy James Bond.
The 33-year-old Taylor-Johnson, a fellow countryman of Bond’s, is expected to accept the role.
“Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back,” an unnamed source told The Sun.
The ones waiting to hear back include Eon Productions, a British film production company basically known exclusively for producing the James Bond blockbusters.
Despite the waiting period, that same unnamed source suggested that Eon wasn’t worried.
“As far as Eon is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement,” the source said.
Taylor-Johnson’s previous acting credits include “Kick-A**” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron.”
Unsurprisingly, chatter surrounding a new James Bond actor is always a hot topic and this latest round of rumors is no different.
Are you a fan of the James Bond movies and/or books?
If anything, this latest round of speculation was particularly fervent because of how generally beloved the previous James Bond actor is/was.
Daniel Craig, who has portrayed 007 since 2006’s “Casino Royale,” finally hung up the Crockett & Jones loafers after a lengthy run as James Bond.
Craig’s portrayal of Bond lasted for five films, all of which were generally lauded as both critical and commercial successes.
The Craig era eventually culminated with 2021’s very final-feeling “No Time to Die” — which does have some potential to affect Taylor-Johnson’s casting.
Spoiler Warning: The following post includes spoilers for “No Time to Die.”
The 2021 James Bond film ends with Craig’s super spy dying to save a love interest and a character who is revealed to be his daughter.
And to be clear, the movie did not portray this as any sort of an impermanent “superhero” death. There were no sly hints or wry grins to suggest that Bond may live again.
The movie ends with several prominent Bond allies coming together to toast their fallen ally before the film ultimately ends with Bond’s lover beginning to tell his daughter a story about the secret agent.
Assuming there is continuity, that effectively leaves just one of two possible roles for Taylor-Johnson’s James Bond.
The first scenario is that this new James Bond will be some sort of a prequel film chronicling a younger version of Craig’s Bond.
The other scenario is that the franchise will finally tap into a widely circulated fan theory that “James Bond” isn’t a name, but a code name bestowed on agents. This fan theory was a stab at explaining why Bond has changed appearances throughout the franchise, while other characters — like M — have remained consistent.
Assuming there won’t be continuity, Taylor-Johnson’s Bond will be a new jumping-off point for the franchise, which seems like the likeliest scenario.
Whoever eventually takes up the mantle of James Bond next will officially be the eighth actor to portray the legendary secret agent.
