Is Aaron Taylor-Johnson The Next James Bond? Everything We Know So Far

Thanks to the recent transfer of creative power over the James Bond film property from the Broccoli family to Amazon MGM Studios, Hollywood and entertainment news outlets have been freshly abuzz with rumors regarding which actor will succeed Daniel Craig as the next 007. Craig's darker interpretation of Bond was well-received by fans and audiences, and his tenure as the world's most famous spy has been storied and, at times, somewhat contentious. In 2015, while promoting his fourth film in the franchise, "Spectre," Daniel Craig told Time Out (via Time) he'd rather "slash his wrists" than do another Bond film. Since then, Craig has done another Bond film (wrists well intact) — 2021's "No Time to Die" — but now it seems he and the creative team behind the franchise are on the same page regarding his departure from the role.

In 2022, it was reported that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson — known for roles in other action films like "Kick-Ass" and "Avengers: Age of Ultron" — nailed an audition with Barbara Broccoli, who was still in full control of the Bond franchise at the time. Despite fan excitement over the charisma that Taylor-Johnson could bring to the role, there has been no confirmation that he has been cast as Bond since that report. That said, Taylor-Johnson's reported bid for the role is one of a few potential castings that has been vigorously supported by fans, even through the transition of creative control over the franchise, and it's still possible that he could be the next 007.

Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, co-founder of film production company EON Productions, was the driving producer behind the first James Bond film, "Dr. No," which came out in 1962. The film was based on the main character in Ian Fleming's spy novels, and Broccoli remained mostly true to Fleming's stories in producing the many Bond films that came out after "Dr. No." In the 1990s, Barbara Broccoli — Cubby's daughter — and her half-brother, Michael G. Wilson, took over stewardship of the franchise, casting Pierce Brosnan as 007.

While the Broccolis were honored at the 2025 Academy Awards with a speech by Halle Berry and an extended performance celebrating the James Bond legacy, it has been alleged that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos did everything he could to remove Broccoli from the Bond franchise because she repeatedly insulted his executives. Bezos eventually paid Broccoli a reported whopping $1 billion to cede creative control of the series over to Amazon MGM Studios in its entirety, and she capitulated, despite her family's fifty-year legacy at the helm of the franchise. The property has been in limbo since Daniel Craig's last film, "No Time to Die," came out in 2021, and now that the creative stalemate between Amazon and the Broccolis has ended, Amazon will likely move quickly to revive the iconic superspy.

Pierce Brosnan, who played James Bond before Daniel Craig, once cast Aaron Taylor-Johnson (ATJ) in his project, "The Greatest," and told Yahoo Entertainment that as long as the young star "wished [for the James Bond role], wanted it and got it, he would be great." Of course, Brosnan isn't the only person who thinks ATJ might be a great fit for the part; many fans have indicated excitement over the potential casting.

Unfortunately, there has been no confirmation that ATJ will be smoking cigars in Monaco anytime soon, and the actor himself has worked hard to dodge questions about it while promoting other projects. One thing is for sure, though — the longest time between James Bond film releases was the six-year gap between 2015's "Spectre" and 2021's "No Time to Die," so if Amazon MGM wants to avoid breaking that record, they'll need to cast the next Bond sooner rather than later.

While Aaron Taylor-Johnson has emerged as a clear frontrunner in discussions of casting the next James Bond, there are several other actors who have been heavily considered by fans and rumored to be in talks with EON over the past few years. Though Barbara Broccoli was never closed off to the possibility of an actor of color taking up the 007 mantle, she did tell The Guardian in 2018 that "Bond is male. He's a male character. He was written as a male and I think he'll probably stay male." Even though Broccoli is no longer in charge of creative decisions around the franchise, it's unlikely that Amazon MGM Studios would stray so far from tradition and cast a woman as 007 for the next chapter of the long-running franchise.

Actors who have been considered and mentioned across Hollywood and the internet include Idris Elba, Cillian Murphy, Henry Cavill, and Jamie Campbell Bower. More recent names that have attracted attention regarding the role of James Bond due to their recent success and popularity include the likes of Barry Keoghan and Paul Mescal, and, as such, many people seem open to the idea of a 007 who isn't as conventional as past iterations. Bet makers have great odds on Taylor-Johnson, as well as other actors like Rege-Jean Page and Jack Lowden. But even the money can surprise you sometimes, as the odds in favor of little-known actor Mike Dickman ("Barbie") have recently increased quite a bit.

Unfortunately for 007 fans, there aren't many creative decisions that Amazon MGM Studios can make about the James Bond franchise until a new lead has been chosen, so any other news surrounding the film has been stagnant. That said, noted producers David Heyman and Amy Pascal were announced as the new lead caretakers for the franchise, and they seem to have tapped Academy Award-winner Alfonso Cuarón to potentially direct a new, fresh take on the character with the 26th Bond film.

It's likely that Amazon will also try to expand the James Bond franchise into its own cinematic universe with TV spin-offs for Prime Video, especially given the company's (failed) attempts to make the Russo brothers' spy-fueled "Citadel" a flagship IP. Luckily, Amazon MGM has at least committed to releasing the next Bond film in theaters and claims that it is committed to pursuing a satisfying theatrical experience for audiences.