Marvel Star Aaron Taylor-Johnson to Become New 'Agent 007' James Bond, Replacing Daniel Craig
The iconic role of 007 agent James Bond, MI6's most famous spy, has been offered to 33-year-old actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, The Sun reports.
Insiders say that the Kick-Ass film star is expected to accept the role of 007, replacing Daniel Craig, who played MI6's most famous spy for 15 years.
There has been much speculation as to who will take up the mantle of the fictional MI6 agent, with names such as Tom Hardy, Reggie Jean Page and Idris Elba making headlines as possible candidates for the role. However, reports suggest that Taylor-Johnson is now the favourite to replace Daniel Craig, who left the role after A Time to Die (2021). Other contenders for the role included Oscar-winning Cillian Murphy, Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and James Norton.
"Bond is Aaron's job if he wants to take it. A formal offer is on the table, and they are waiting for a response," a source told the Sun newspaper.
The 33-year-old actor was raised in a Jewish family in the English town of High Wycombe. In 2015, he told The Guardian that he was happy when someone said he looked like a fashionable Hasidic Jew, saying: "It was nice because I have very curly hair, and I'm also Jewish."
He is best known for his roles in the films The Bastard, The Shadow, Bullet Train and the teen comedy Angus, the Thong and the Perfect Manor.
Eon Productions is allegedly preparing to make an announcement if Taylor-Johnson accepts the job.
In 2023, rumours circulated about Taylor-Johnson's alleged secret audition for the role of Bond, and reports of his meeting with producer Barbara Broccoli further strengthened claims of his ties to the project.
Taylor-Johnson has remained tight-lipped on the subject, saying in a recent interview that he finds it "charming and wonderful" that people see him as a contender for the role of Bond.
The 26th Bond film is due to start filming later this year. The release of the next Bond film was delayed due to last year's strikes in Hollywood.