The ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson Is Bond’ Rumors Are Hotting Up (Again)

In the future, every vaguely eligible male actor will be rumoured to be the next James Bond for 15 minutes. Long before Daniel Craig was able to hang up his holster and embrace his freak side, there was a cottage industry dedicated to speculating over who would be his successor in the role of 007. Idris Elba had it for many years. Tom Hiddleston got it. So did Michael Fassbender. Are you hot, not American, and probably white? Then the chances are a tabloid has claimed that sources pointed you out as the next Bond. It’s like being in the Four Seasons. Now, another name has entered the ring, and people seem more convinced than ever that this is the guy.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson was floated around as a possible Bond a couple of years ago. Last year, The Sun claimed that he was Eon Productions’ official choice, and that when asked about it by Rolling Stone, he quickly deflected the issue in a very ‘I can’t discuss that right now’ manner. But that was before creative control over James Bond was bought up by Amazon-MGM in February 2025. Now, the rumours are back, under new management.

He’s got all of the credentials in his corner, too. He’s a Golden Globe-winning and BAFTA-nominated actor. He’s got a ton of franchise and action movie experience to his name thanks to the likes of Avengers: Age of Ultron and Bullet Train. He’s frequently cited as both a sex symbol and a well-dressed gent. He’s in his 30s and has abs. Directors like him and he’s reportedly good to work with. Sounds about right.

He’s currently starring in Danny Boyle’s 28 Years Later, and being on the promotional trail has inspired more Bond rumours. He recently became the global ambassador for Omega watches, a company with heavy associations with the Bond franchise. According to Euronews, ‘the watch brand has been Bond’s marker of choice ever since Pierce Brosnan got his Omega in GoldenEye. Add the fact that both Brosnan and Daniel Craig were Omega ambassadors before they headed to MI6, and it doesn’t seem to be much of a (perfectly timed) coincidence.’

While on the red carpet for 28 Years Later, Taylor-Johnson was asked about his next project, to which he responded, ‘I can’t talk about that.’ Well, that perfectly normal reply was enough to fuel a barrage of headlines about Bond speculation. ‘James Bond fans convinced Aaron Taylor-Johnson has confirmed 007 role after cryptic 5-word remark’, screamed GB News. ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson drops cryptic clue he could be next James Bond at 28 Years Later premiere in London,’ echoed the Daily Mail. ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson breaks silence on James Bond role at 28 Years Later premiere,’ added Yahoo News, even though he really didn’t. Nothing can make a mountain from a molehill quite like Bond rumour mill drama.

Okay, so what does any of this mean? Frankly, not much. A watch sponsorship and non-answer at a public event does not a James Bond make. This has become a topic less from evidence or substantial industry talk than timing. Amazon’s acquisition of the Bond franchise several months ago has sped up rumours of a new movie happening sooner rather than later. Puck reported that Amazon and MGM have put together a shortlist of producers to helm the franchise as well as directors to bring it to life. Directors apparently making pitches for the position include Denis Villeneuve, Jonathan Nolan, Edward Berger, and Edgar Wright. The evil corporate monopoly wants to get its fancy new franchise up and running as soon as possible, hopefully to give them a consistent money market that their previous original films and programming have not (sorry, The Wheel of Time fans.)

We know why Amazon wants Bond to work. But what are the benefits of an actor like Aaron Taylor-Johnson signing up for it? If it worked out and he was successful, Amazon would want him to commit to several years’ of installments. That would eat up the rest of his 30s and probably most of his 40s. It would force him to turn down other roles and do a ton of IP-related promo and work whether he wanted to or not. He’s clearly happy to join a big franchise if asked. This is the man who voluntarily donned the furs to play Kraven the Hunter in a very real movie that totally exists. But Bond is a different beast. It’s iconic, a decades-old enduring force of cinema that carries with it a very specific series of requirements and expectations. Bond is masculinity, colonialism, power, and sex. He is Discourse made flesh. Carrying that weight clearly got to Daniel Craig after a while and he got to the point where he was openly slagging off the character. But at least when he was Bond he didn’t have to adhere to the demands of Amazon. Will that come with new restrictions for an actor?

Honestly, I wonder if Bond is more of a hassle than it’s worth for someone like ATJ. He’s got a solid and interesting career jumping between action fare and weird goblin roles. He’s famous but not besieged by attention, although he still regularly calls out what he sees as unfair and cruel headlines about his relationship with his wife Sam Taylor-Johnson, who he met when he was a teenager and she was his boss on the set of Nowhere Boy. Being Bond would make him an endless press staple against his will (his family live on a farm away from London partly to escape that.) Also, would the role be fulfilling? You could sense Craig’s tedium by No Time to Die. Will Amazon let the character be pricklier and less sexist, or return to the old mould and claim it’s anti-DEI or some crap like that? It’d be a good payday but does ATJ need it? If I was him, I’d be more interested in playing the villain.

Of course, it could also just be content mill slop. Bond rumours are as commonplace on SEO mines as listicles and misogyny. Right as I was putting this piece together, I saw another name tossed into the Bond rumour mill: Aaron Pierre. Betting company William Hill recently slashed the odds on his chances, although ATJ is still the favourite ahead of Theo James. Give it enough time, and you too will be rumoured to be the next Bond.