James Bond Producers May Have Found Daniel Craig's 007 Successor & He's Perfect

Intelligence directly from MI6 (well, The Sun) reveals that "Kick-Ass" and "Kraven the Hunter" star Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the chance to take up the license to kill and the legendary Walther PPK as Bond, James Bond. The news comes after Taylor-Johnson reportedly had a James Bond meeting that "went well" in January. "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," an inside source told the outlet, although there is no confirmation that the actor has actually accepted any potential mission as 007.

Following Daniel Craig's departure from the role after 2021's "No Time to Die," it felt like there were as many names being considered for Bond as there are actual "Bond" films. Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and Henry Cavill's names have been circling for the spot for years, even before Craig confirmed he was giving up the gig he'd played in five films since 2006. Others hope the role will go to Taron Egerton, although he thinks the next James Bond has already been cast. Should the most recent rumor turn out to be true, Taylor-Johnson would be a great choice for the iconic super spy. All he'd need is a director.

If MGM were to (to quote Judi Dench's legendary former M) take the bloody shot for a top-tier director, then now would be as good a time as any for Christopher Nolan to take on the job and reunite with his former "Tenet" star. Even before "Oppenheimer" and its seven Oscar wins, including best achievement in directing, Nolan certainly seemed up for directing a "Bond" movie, admitting on the podcast "Happy Sad Confused," "It would be an amazing privilege to do one." Perhaps now, with a shelf full of shiny statues to his name, that may come to pass.

That's not to say the return of 007 will need an extra push. This is James Bond, after all, with Daniel Craig's stint as MI6's best employee accumulating nearly $3 billion at the box office. No matter who it ends up being, audiences will still head to theaters to see the newest iteration of Bond kill henchmen, chase down targets in gadget-riddled cars, and walk away from explosions without his suit getting too ruffled. Here's hoping that, if it is Johnson, he can pay attention as 007.