To be able to endure the media circus that surrounds the casting and release of any of the James Bond movies is a feat that’s most admirable – and it's extra impressive when you consider the actors that have to go through that wringer when they aren’t officially onboard. The latest 007 frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson is presently enduring the experience, and the man has been asked the question about he role so many times at this point that it’s getting a bit old.
You can see that feeling on his face (along with a bit of tongue-in-cheek) in a new video of Johnson replying to a question about being regularly asked about playing James Bond. Walking the red carpet at a premiere event for the 2024 movie The Fall Guy, Aaron Taylor-Johnson's answer is captured below, the actor saying, "Are you sick of asking the question?"
Putting aside the betting odds and the constant chatter, I can see why Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be as “tight-lipped” as he is above. Being even whispered about as the next Bond lead is something that can lead to a lot of media attention. Public pressure is mounting with each report claiming to have an inside track about casting, and the guy still has to make it through the full promotional tour of The Fall Guy.
Journalists are going to be regularly asking if his experience with stunts, danger, and charm in the making of the new film have prepared him for slipping into that iconic tuxedo. Talk about Aaron Taylor-Johnson playing James Bond represents a relatively new phase in the speculation machine that’s been running since Daniel Craig announced that he was stepping away from the 007 franchise after No Time To Die, but for Taylor-Johnson, it’s been almost a year and a half worth of constant chatter.
We’re a little over a month past the report that the actor was “days away” from being named as the new James Bond. And that report was over a year after the late 2022 stories that stated Aaron Taylor-Johnson was already cast as the good Commander, with the Kick Ass star rumored to have the role. With unnamed sources claiming that Taylor-Johnson has gotten the part twice over already, one could say he made a good call flipping the question in the new interview.
Journalists are probably as tired of asking Aaron Taylor-Johnson if he’s going to be the new James Bond as the actor is of hearing it... but questions are not going to stop until the new Commander Bond is announced to the public. Since that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon, fans should just hunker down for a while and endure the wait.
Following his work in The Fall Guy, which arrives in theaters on May 3, Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be back on the screen in the back half of the year, as the Marvel vet has Kraven The Hunter dropping into theaters on August 30. Expect much more Bond chatter in the months ahead.
