James Bond fans have taken to social media to share their thoughts on Marvel star Aaron Taylor-Johnson reportedly being cast as the next James Bond – with some fearing the action star is too bland to play the suave secret agent.
Taylor-Johnson, 33, is reportedly on the verge of inking a deal to star as the next Bond in an as-yet-untitled new take on the spy saga after Daniel Craig retired from the role following 2021’s No Time To Die.
Until now, the English actor has been best known to most audiences for playing superhero Pietro Maximoff – also known as Quicksilver – in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and starring in Kick-Ass, based on the comic book by Mark Millar.
Fans are conflicted about Taylor-Johnson’s casting as Bond – with some fearing he lacks the charisma necessary to fill the spy’s shoes, while others had hoped made for an older star, such as Henry Cavill or Idris Elba, to carry Bond’s classic maturity.
Other cinemagoers are worried that his 007 may follow in the same mould as that cast in Craig’s reboot, which saw 007 reintroduced as a fallible rookie secret agent that some felt wasn’t befitting Ian Fleming’s character’s legacy.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson is on the verge of signing a deal to become the next James Bond, according to reports
Daniel Craig retired from playing 007 with 2021’s No Time To Die (pictured), after five films and 15 years
Many fans felt casting Taylor-Johnson as Bond was the wrong call – with some labelling him ‘boring’ and lacking charisma, and others feeling he is too young for the role
Henry Cavill (left) was a favourite among many fans to replace Daniel Craig as Bond, while Idris Elba was linked to the Bond role for years
Taylor-Johnson will be older than Sean Connery (pictured) was when he was cast as Bond in what became his breakthrough cinematic role in Dr No
Fans took to social media to share their views on who they felt should have been cast as the next James Bond – with Henry Cavill and Idris Elba among the most popular alternatives
One fan on X, formerly Twitter, wrote: ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson as James Bond? I don’t see it. In the vast majority of films I have seen in him he has been an utter charisma vacuum, with zero screen presence, gravitas or charm.’
Another said: ‘The next James Bond…big mistake – Henry Cavill was the best obvious choice.’
‘Should have been Idris Elba,’ wrote a third fan, while a fourth added: ‘There is absolutely no way that the role of the world’s most famous spy James Bond should go to Aaron Taylor-Johnson.’
They continued: ‘It should go to Henry Cavill – he’s perfect for the role.’
‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson can’t be the next Bond,’ opined another spy super-fan. ‘Great face, but wrong voice.’
Taylor-Johnson only came ninth in a recent poll of actors audiences wanted to see play the next Bond – being beaten out by Elba, Tom Hardy, Cavill, Cillian Murphy, Tom Hiddleston and Fifty Shades star Jamie Dornan.
And fans were not quiet this morning about who they would rather see stepping out of an Aston Martin, Walther PPK in hand.
‘I hope (Taylor-Johnson) does a good job, but on the surface he doesn’t strike me as a James Bond. I would’ve thought…Henry Cavill or Richard Madden,’ wrote one.
‘I would have preferred Henry Cavill… but hey-ho. Daniel Craig was never Bond,’ said another.
One filmgoer said of the Kick-Ass actor: ‘I think he’ll do OK. But if I’d have been putting money into this franchise I’d have been thinking Henry Cavill.
‘Big name, looks the part, can put bums on seats, guys love him, women love him. I think they could end up not making the money. Been some bad decisions by them.’
Some felt Taylor-Johnson, at 33, did not have the maturity to play an experienced version of the suave spy.
However, Sean Connery was younger than the actor when he made his first appearance as 007 in 1962’s Dr No – and had been a practical unknown before he was cast.
‘Don’t know much about him but he should be older. Perhaps they can make him up to look older. But a man in his early 30s would not be Bond,’ one X user said.
‘I still kinda want Idris Elba to get a shot, maybe as an older Bond as a one-off,’ another wrote.
Some, however, are willing to give the Marvel actor a chance.
‘I mean in my perfect world Idris Elba BUT I’m okay with this,’ one said.
‘Not sure about this Aaron Taylor-Johnson lad for Bond, but I said the same about (Robert) Pattinson for Batman’, said another.
On the r/jamesbond forum on Reddit, fans were equally dismissive of Taylor-Johnson’s prospects.
‘Doesn’t have “it” in my eyes,’ said one Redditor, while another added: ‘Gross he’s so wrong for it.’
‘I have nothing against ATJ as a person or an actor, I honestly had never heard of/noticed him until talk of Bond,’ wrote a third.
‘In my opinion though, I absolutely cannot see him as a good fit for Bond as we’ve come to know him, especially considering the other contenders.’
Taylor-Johnson began performing as a child and cut his teeth in films such as Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, before achieving his breakthrough as John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy.
His ascent to fame continued in Kick-Ass, based on Mark Millar’s hyper-violent comic book, playing the titular teenage vigilante in two movies to date.
He was then cast in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Pietro Maximoff, aka Quicksilver – a superhero with the ability to run at high speeds – and later appeared in Christopher Nolan’s Tent, The King’s Man and Bullet Train.
He is set to appear in The Fall Guy opposite Ryan Gosling as well as a remake of horror classic Nosferatu later this year.
He is also taking on the title role of Kraven the Hunter in the upcoming Marvel Comics film – set in a separate cinematic ‘universe’ from the one in which he played Quicksilver.
Social media is split on whether Taylor-Johnson has the chops to step into 007’s shoes after a run of action films including Bullet Train (pictured)
He began acting as a child and has seen his career go from strength to strength, with three huge film appearances scheduled this year alone (pictured in The Fall Guy)
He is known to millions for his role as the super-speedy Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (pictured opposite Elizabeth Olsen in the film)
Among his early breakout roles as that of love interest Robbie in 2008’s Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging
Taylor-Johnson as Kick-Ass opposite Chloe Grace Moretz in the adaptation of Mark Millar’s ultra-violent comic
He will also take on the title role of Kraven the Hunter in the upcoming adaptation of the Marvel Comics character
Sources told The Sun that the Bond role was his – pending his signature on a contract with EON Productions, which produces the Bond films.
One said: ‘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.’
Responding to the rumours that he could step into Bond’s shoes last week, Aaron played coy, telling Numero: ‘I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment.’
The Bullet Train star’s name has been in the running for Bond for a while now, alongside fellow A-list contenders like Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill and recent Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy.
In October last year, the Mail exclusively revealed that Aaron was the ‘one to beat’ to take the iconic role, while Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan was looking likely to helm the next film in the franchise.
The insider said: ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson is currently the hot favorite to step into the iconic role, he’s the first choice for Barbara Broccoli – he is the one to beat.’
In March 2023, Aaron was said to have completed a screen test at Pinewood Studios with Bond boss Barbara and impressed her.
According to the Mail On Sunday, Barbara has made it clear she wanted the next actor to portray the character for 15 years.
Outside of acting, Aaron’s personal life has generated much public interest, due to the large age gap between him and his wife.
He tied the knot with Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, in June 2012, and they share daughters Wylda Rae, 13, and Romy Hero, 11.
Fifty Shades of Grey director Sam also has two older daughters – Angelica, 26, and Jessie, 17, with her ex-husband Jay Jopling.
Their relationship has caused controversy, as the couple met while filming Nowhere Boy in 2009, which Sam directed, when Aaron was 18 and she was 42, going on to welcome their first daughter Wylda the following year.
Sam previously spoke about falling for Aaron on the set, but insisted nothing happened until the movie wrapped.
She said: ‘I managed to hold off really until almost the end of the film. We weren’t even together then. Maybe feelings were there but un-acted upon.
‘The thing is, we had quite a psychic link when working together. I knew from a flicker of an eyelash what kind of performance I was going to get. I felt that link almost from day one of meeting him.’
And while Idris Elba was the top choice for many fans, he has ruled himself out several times – focusing on projects such as Luther instead.
Back in August 2022, it was reported he had walked away from ‘years of talks’ with movie bosses to take over the famous role.
And in February 2023, he insisted: ‘You know, 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.’