The role ofJames Bondis one of the most coveted in Hollywood. An iconic role that has lit up the silver screen consistently since Sean Connery’s debut in 1962’s Dr No, it was vacated by Daniel Craig after his fifth and final appearance inNo Time to Die. Since then, the future of Bond has been in limbo, withAmazonbidding for some of the rights to the series, before recentlybuying up the whole thing for a rumoured fee of $1 billion.
With such a large acquisition of a key character like Bond, it will be important to get the casting right. Several names that have been discussed for years,like Idris Elba, have aged out of the role - especially with the feeling being a younger direction is needed. Pierce Brosnan, who played 007 from 1995 to 2002, has weighed in on who he thinks is the best fit - and it’s one of the frontrunners.
If He Wished It, Wanted It And Got It, He Would Be Great
Speaking withYahoo Entertainment(andspotted by Screen Rant), Brosnan endorsed Aaron Taylor-Johnson for the role. Asked about whether he felt Taylor-Johnson would be a good pick, given the pair had worked together previously, Brosnan was highly complimentary both of Taylor-Johnson’s work in general and of his suitability to Bond. “I cast him in one of the movies I made a long time ago called The Greatest, actually. And he played ‘The Greatest'. This young man came on the set, and took the space, filled the space with passion and energy. So yeah, I think if he wished it, wanted it and got it, he would be great.”
Taylor-Johnson has along been considered a favourite for the role, alongside the likes of Henry Cavill (also aged out but remaining a fan favourite), Damson Idris,Daniel Kaluuya, and Harris Dickinson, while the likes of Michael Fassbender and Tom Hiddlestone seem to have missed their window like Elba. Taylor-Johnson is 34, four years younger than Craig was in his first Bond movie, though three years older than Connery in Dr No and five years older than the youngest Bond, 29 year old George Lazenby in his only appearance as 007 in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Taylor-Johnson has played military types inGodzillaand Tenet, as well asthe upcoming 28 Years Later, and has on screen experience mingling with the upper crust of society as gadabout Count Vronsky in Anna Karenina, plus his recent role in Nosferatu. Perhaps his most Bond-like turn to date though was his role as Tangerine, one half of a three-piece suited hitman duo in the action flick Bullet Train. He was already well in the mix for Bond, and an endorsement from Brosnan might help seal the deal.
