The next installment in the James Bond franchise is beginning to come together.
But a new face has to step into the legendary lead role.
And a former James Bond star came out in support of this actor to be the next 007.
The rumor mill is heating up about the next James Bond movie with the long-running British spy franchise undergoing a hard reset.
Actor Daniel Craig stepped away from his role as 007 after five movies with 2021’s No Time to Die.
EON producer Barbara Broccoli said that Bond was going to be “reinvented” after Craig’s stint with the franchise.
Co-producer Michael G. Wilson explained what EON – the British production company behind the James Bond franchise – was looking for in the next actor to play 007.
“We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past,” Wilson told Deadline. “But trying to visualize it doesn’t work. Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. He’s probably been in the SAS or something. He isn’t some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. That’s why it works for a thirtysomething.”
British actor rumored to be the next Bond
33-year-old British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson reportedly has an offer from EON to take over the role of James Bond according to a report from the U.K. tabloid newspaper The Sun.
Taylor-Johnson has a relatively low profile in Hollywood after starring in movies like Bullet Train and The King’s Men.
But he fits the bill for what the producers say they’re looking for as the next 007.
And he has an endorsement from one of the actors who’s filled the role before.
Pierce Brosnan backs the rumored Bond pick
Veteran Irish actor Pierce Brosnan – who played James Bond in four movies from 1995 to 2002 – gave his blessing to Taylor-Johnson stepping into the legendary role during an interview with an Irish radio station.
“I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so,” Brosnan told The Ray D’Arcy Show.
Brosnan worked with Taylor-Johnson on the 2009 drama The Greatest.
“And he was the greatest in it,” Brosnan quipped. “So, yes, I read the news about his possibilities of being a Bond, so I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow.”
He also said that another rumored contender, Oppenheimer star Cillian Murphy, a fellow Irish actor, would be great in the role.
“Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty’s Secret Service,” Brosnan told the BBC.
Former 007 George Lazenby – who starred in one Bond film, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – said he supports Taylor-Johnson as long as he “can handle the stunts, and all the ladies who love a man in a tux.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has the support of former 007s and could be the leader in the clubhouse to take over the part.
