After taking on another Marvel role with Sony’s upcoming Kraven the Hunter, could Aaron Taylor-Johnson be joining another major franchise by suiting up as 007? According to filmmaker Gurinder Chadha, who previously worked with Taylor-Johnson early in the actor’s career, that’s exactly what needs to happen. As it stands, no one has yet been cast to play James Bond following Daniel Craig’s retirement from the role, but with another movie inevitable, the next 007 will be named soon enough.
For now, Taylor-Johnson has picked up the endorsement of Chadha for the role. In a new interview with Deadline, Chadha addressed how she has helped make bigger stars out of certain actors in Hollywood by casting them in major roles before they became household names. As Chadha had cast Taylor-Johnson in 2008’s Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, she named the Kick-Ass star alongside Pirates of the Caribbean’s Keira Knightley as two talents she saw great potential in from the start. When referencing Taylor-Johnson, the director casually mentions that he should be the next Bond.
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The director also recalled having to “fight” with the studio for Taylor-Johnson to be cast, arguing that his potential overweighed his lack of experience in major movie roles. She ultimately got her way; from there, Taylor-Johnson has since become a much bigger star in Hollywood. Chadha then doubles down on suggesting Taylor-Johnson be cast as James Bond, though she admits she’ll be there to take the credit if that ends up happening.
“I have launched some nice careers. I’ve made stars. Keira Knightley in Bend It Like Beckham. She came in and auditioned. It was her first big film. French actress, Leïla Bekhti. She was in my episode of Paris Je t’aime. She had just started. The next James Bond, we hope, Aaron Taylor Johnson, who was in my film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.”
“I had to fight with Paramount Studios who made that film. I said, ‘I really want to cast this guy. I think he’s huge. He’s going to be a great talent, a big star’. And they were like, Well, no one knows who he is. And I said, ‘I know. But trust me, not yet’. And then I cast him. And of course, now, if he becomes the next Bond, I will take complete credit.”
Who Will Be the New 007 in James Bond 26?
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It’s unclear when the 26th Bond movie will arrive as the film is not in active development. For now, fans can only continue to speculate over the character’s potential casting. Recently, it was reported that Downton Abbey’s Dan Stevens had become a favorite with bookies for the role, though many fans continue to campaign for Henry Cavill as Bond.
Time will tell what ends up happening with 007, but as for Taylor-Johnson, you can catch him as the titular anti-hero in Sony’s upcoming film Kraven the Hunter, hitting movie theaters on Oct. 6, 2023.
