Rumors over ‘next James Bond’ left shaken and stirred by Aaron Taylor-Johnson speculation

By Morayo Ogunbayo and Jennifer Deaton, CNN

(CNN) — Rumors surrounding the next James Bond were shaken and stirred after the British tabloid “The Sun” published a story saying 33-year-old British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role of 007.

The Sun reported, citing an unnamed source, that “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.”

CNN has reached out to Eon Productions and Taylor-Johnson’s team for comment.

The Taylor-Johnson rumors come after years of speculation on who will take the iconic role after Daniel Craig’s final run as Bond in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”

A source with knowledge of the situation tells CNN that Johnson has not been cast as Bond.

And, BBC News reports that a “production insider” said there is no truth to the rumors about Taylor-Johnson’s casting.

Taylor-Johnson, 33, first broke through as a mainstream actor after his role in the 2008 teen comedy “Angus, Thongs and the Perfect Snogging,” according to IMDB. He achieved even greater success after his breakthrough in 2010’s “Kickass.”

In 2017, he won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his role in “Nocturnal Animals,” a 2016 neo-noir directed by fashion designer Tom Ford.

Other actors who have been floated for the role include British actor Henry Cavill and Irish actor and recent Oscar for Best Actor winner Cillian Murphy.

Murphy even recently was given a thumbs up by former Bond, Pierce Brosnan. “Cillian would do a magnificent job as James Bond on His Majesty’s Secret Service,” Brosnan told the BBC.

There has also been speculation for years that Idris Elba was a contender to be the first black James Bond, with the actor saying he felt “super complimented” by the suggestions.

He said he was flattered, but acknowledged some weren’t happy he was being considered.

“Those that weren’t happy about the idea made the whole thing disgusting and off-putting because it became about race,” Elba said on the “Smartless” Podcast in 2023. “It became about nonsense dude, and I got the brunt of it.”

It’s unclear when an official announcement will be made or when production of the next chapter in the storied sixty-plus-year franchise will begin.

Last year, James Bond film producer Michael G. Wilson, of Eon Productions told Deadline, “There will always be a Bond.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2024 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.