Well, it looks like we’re finally getting our new James Bond after Daniel Craig, and it’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson. At least, according to the latest rumors circling around the internet. Your mileage may vary there as a result.

The New James Bond?!

James Bond 007 logo.
Maybe we’ll even get a new version of the logo soon?

The American men’s lifestyle magazine Esquire just published some very interesting rumors about Aaron Taylor-Johnson. According to said rumors, Taylor-Johnson went in for some secret screen tests with Pinewood Studios under Barbara Broccoli. If you may recall: Barbara Broccoli has been the producer of the James Bond franchise ever since the Pierce Brosnan era started with GoldenEye in 1995, and in fact is the current controller of the franchise alongside her half-brother Michael G. Wilson.

Pinewood Studios, of course, is the home of the James Bond franchise, along with the much less well-known Carry On franchise. Given this, it’s reasonable to assume that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is in fact shooting screen tests to be the latest 007. The problem? A reasonable assumption isn’t the same thing as hard confirmed facts, which this story isn’t. Thus, take this story with a grain of salt until we get official confirmation from either Barbara Broccoli or Pinewood Studios on this subject. Heck, even any official word from Taylor-Johnson himself would be nice at this point. Tune back in to THS later to get that official confirmation when we do.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson: Details

11 November 2016 - Los Angeles, California - Aaron Taylor-Johnson with wife Sam Taylor-Johnson. Nocturnal Animals Los Angeles Screening held at the Hammer Museum. Photo Credit: AdMedia
A somewhat younger James Bond too, from the looks of it.

If these rumors are true though, then Aaron Taylor-Johnson will certainly be an interesting James Bond. Born Aaron Perry Johnson in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, England; he first started his acting career on the live stage, playing in Macbeth and All My Sons. He then finally graduated to bigger and better things with the 2004 TV adaptation of Feather Boy.

However, it wouldn’t be until 2010 that Aaron Taylor-Johnson finally got his break with Kick-Ass. In fact, he played the main character Dave Lizewski, who is the titular Kick-Ass. His acting career then moved on to Marvel, where he played Pietro Maximoff in both Captain America: Winter Soldier and Avengers: Age of Ultron.

It was after those roles that Aaron Taylor-Johnson seems to be reaching a high point in his acting career. He apparently played Ives in Tenet (2020), and will play Kraven the Hunter in the 2023 film adaptation from Sony. If he is indeed also going to be the new James Bond as the rumors suggest, it’d be one heck of an acting career.

Source: Esquire

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