According to recent reports, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson is expected to become the next James Bond. The 33-year-old British actor, who is known for his role in films such as “Bullet Train” and “Kick-Ass,” is anticipated to bring an exciting new perspective to the classic spy series.
Daniel Craig, the actor who has portrayed James Bond for the better part of two decades, will depart from his role in the series, where he first appeared in the 2006 installment, “Casino Royal.” Taking on the role of suave spy has traditionally proven to be a significant springboard in an actor’s career.
For example, Sean Connery, the original James Bond, had only appeared in several minor TV films before his acting in the movie series, which made him a household name. Therefore, it will be exciting to see the direction of Taylor-Johnson’s career moving forward.
According to sources familiar with Eon Productions, the producer of the Bond movies, the studio is developing a script in anticipation of shooting a new film featuring Johnson-Taylor. “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,” a source told The Sun. “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 selection of Aaron Taylor-Johnson for the upcoming Bond movie is notable, given the different possible directions the series could go in. Amid the Hollywood craze for diversity in movie casts, many have called for the James Bond films to feature prominent roles held by women and minorities.
For example, the names of several high-profile actors, such as Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Idris Elba, had been floating around for the role in the next James Bond movie. According to a poll circulated to fans, Elba was voted as the top choice for the upcoming role. However, the actor had expressed disinterest in taking on the role, particularly because of the conversation about his race and its impact on the casting.
“It’s interesting that the James Bond thing continues to go. I think it’s more about, we just want to have a Black guy play James Bond rather than Idris Elba, the actor, play James Bond,” Elba said in 2017. “That’s the part that I’m like, ‘Ugh, come on.’”
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Sky News Australia reported on the news of Taylor-Johnson’s selection for the role, which the outlet suggested entailed that we are “past peak woke.” The Sky News host said, “I think we’re now past peak work. Common Sense might be becoming more common. Maybe I’m a dreamer.” Watch the Sky News Australia report below on Aaron Taylor Johnson’s alleged role in the upcoming film below:
The host noted that while he was “huge fan” of the James Bond series, he couldn’t begin to entertain the notion of someone taking on this role other than an actor resembling the prototypical 007, such as Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig.
Featured image credit: www.GlynLowe.com, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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