Aaron Taylor-Johnson is reportedly being lined up as the next James Bond following Daniel Craig's exit from the 007 franchise.
A source told British tabloid The Sun that the actor received a "formal offer" for the role and is expected to accept imminently, with production starting this year, putting an end to months of speculation about who will take over as the next James Bond in the wake of Craig's 15-year tenure as the famous fictional spy.
The source told the outlet: "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."
Reports surfaced early last year that Taylor-Johnson had met with 007 producers about the role, and the meeting went "very well," putting him in the running alongside several other actors, including Cillian Murphy and Henry Cavill. It seems Taylor-Johnson is now the frontrunner and is poised to play Bond in the 26th film.
Taylor-Johnson's past credits include Kick-Ass, Tenet, and Bullet Train. He also famously starred as Pietro Maximoff in the MCU's Avengers: Age of Ultron, released in 2015. He will next appear in The Fall Guy, starring opposite Ryan Gosling, and in Sony's upcoming Marvel film Kraven The Hunter, playing the titular Spider-Man villain.
Bond producers were reportedly looking for a "thirty-something" actor who could commit to the role for at least a decade. At 33 years of age, it seems that Taylor-Johnson is the candidate they have selected to take over from Craig as 007 and to help "reinvent" the franchise for the next era of movies after No Time to Die.
Image credit: Photo by Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
