The next James Bond may be confirmed soon as an actor has been 'formally offered' the role, reports claim.
It looks like the long awaited successor to Daniel Craig may have been selected, three years after the last Bond film, No Time to Die.
A poll carried out by Lottoland had 2,000 Brits vote for who they wanted to see as the next 007 after Craig's 15-year stint, with Idris Elba coming on top.
However, a few left-field names were thrown in the mix, such as James Norton, Emily Blunt, Helen Mirren and even Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke.
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But of course, a lesser-known name assuming the Bond role shouldn't be too unexpected, with previous actors being turned into global superstars after getting the part.
Sean Connery only had credits in a number of TV films before he played the famous British spy in the 1960s, which granted him true fame status.
Despite Elba coming out on top and being many people's first choice, he said he wouldn't be taking the role, despite saying it was the 'pinnacle' to be asked.
The actor revealed the following year: "A lot of people talk about another character that begins with J and ends with B, but I'm not going to be that guy."
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So who is the mystery actor that is slated to be the next agent of His Majesty's Secret Service?
According to reports from the Sun, Aaron Taylor-Johnson 'has been formally offered the opportunity to play James Bond'.
The 33-year-old actor is yet to be officially announced in the role, nor has he officially accepted it, but he would be the eighth actor to play the legendary spy since the franchise began with Dr. No in 1962.
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Taylor-Johnson is known for his acting credits in Kick-Ass, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Godzilla, and Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
A source stated: "Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back.
"As far as Eon is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement."
Just last week, he modestly responded to the Bond rumours, saying to Numero: "I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment."
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His acting career began when he was just a child, though he has continued his early momentum with three highly anticipated films this year alone - with roles in The Fall Guy opposite Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, and in gothic horror film Nosferatu alongside Bill Skarsgård and Willem Dafoe, are titles to look out for.
Arguably though, his most anticipated role this year is as Kraven the Hunter in Sony's Spider-Man movie saga.
Other potential names for the role of 007 included recent Oscar winner Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill.
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It was also reported by the Mail last year that Christopher Nolan, director of Oppenheimer, would direct the next film in the franchise.
Nolan has previously worked with Taylor-Johnson on the 2020 science fiction action thriller, Tenet.
It was reported in 2023 that Bond producer Barbara Broccoli was apparently impressed when Taylor Johnson was said to have done a screen test for the role.
LADbible has reached out to Aaron Taylor-Johnson's representatives for comment.
Previous James Bond actors
- Sean Connery (1962–1967, 1971, 1983)
- David Niven (1967)
- George Lazenby (1969)
- Roger Moore (1973–1985)
- Timothy Dalton (1987–1989)
- Pierce Brosnan (1995–2002)
- Daniel Craig (2006–2021)
Topics: Celebrity, Film, James Bond, Aaron Taylor-Johnson
Joshua Nair