If the rumours are true, Aaron Taylor-Johnson is our next James Bond, meaning the world’s 007 diversity callouts were ignored.
The newest addition to the James Bond casting rumour mill is Aaron Taylor-Johnson, a British actor known for his work in films by the likes of Kick-Ass, Godzilla, Avengers: Age of Ultron and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
His entry into the list of James Bond prospects, primarily consisting of white males (Tom Holland, Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy and more), came as a result of an unnamed source informing pop culture gossip outlet, Deuxmoi that “Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the next Bond.”
The source continued, “a mini trailer of just him doing the famous bond shot is going to be released March/April 2023 to announce him as the new actor.”
Late last month, The Sun also reported on other sources who referred to Aaron Taylor-Johnson as “one of the front-runners” for the 007 role, following Daniel Craig’s departure. One insider is quoted saying, “Aaron went for a screen test to be the next Bond in September and producers and Barbara loved him.” They added, “he is now one of the front-runners.”
Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s addition to the rumoured casting options for 007, as well as previous fan-favourite selections, have reignited a long-running callout for more diversity considerations in the casting of the coveted role.
Just recently, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones put her hand up for the role, declaring during an interview with The Telegraph that she had the chops for the part, and honestly, we can see it. “For many years I was Bond material,” said Zeta-Jones. “Actually, I used to dream of being a female spy when I was a kid if I didn’t make it as an actress.”
What do you guys think? Seeing as the James Bond franchise just celebrated its 60th anniversary last month, we reckon it’s definitely time for a long-overdue revamped perspective on the coveted 007 role, incorporating more diversity into the casting process.
While a casting confirmation is yet to surface, many are pointing in Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s direction. But will he actually get to play James Bond? We’ll have to wait and see. Stay tuned, as we keep our eyes peeled for updates.
