Credit: MGM / Universal StudiosThere might be a new superhero-flavored 007 in town!
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The James Bond franchise has recently celebrated its 60th Anniversary (yes, with that Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watch), and now it’s time to figure out how it can continue for… well, another 60 years.
After the exit of Casino Royale‘s (2006) Daniel Craig from the role of iconic Aston Martin DB5-driving, British super-spy James Bond, rumors abound about who will take on the new role. With actors like Academy Award-nominated Tom Hardy, (former) Superman actor Henry Cavill, and Idris Elba (also a Marvel great — as the Thor franchise’s all-seeing Heimdall) as perennial fan favorites to assume the codename of 007, this new potential Marvel choice might appear to come a little out of left field for some.
Based on the character made by Ian Fleming, the British MI6 agent James Bond has had a bevy of actors take on the mantle, namely Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and most recently — Daniel Craig. No Time to Die (2021) officially (spoilers) ended Craig’s run as the spy after his tragic yet sacrificial demise at the hands of the villain Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), as Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and her and Bond’s daughter, Mathilde Swann (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet) — yes, it’s all very “James Bond film”.
Starring alongside in this final James Bond movie are Ralph Fiennes as James Bond boss Gareth Mallory / M, Ben Whishaw as Q, Lashana Lynch as Nomi, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter, Billy Magnussen as Logan Ash, Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and David Dencik as Dr. Valdo Obruchev.
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Now, a recent report from Puck News came out that revealed the next possible James Bond — and it’s one prior Marvel star, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who played the role of Quicksilver/Pietro Maximoff in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Quicksilver was introduced alongside his sister, Wanda Maximoff AKA the Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen) who also (seemingly!) met her demise in Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) vehicle, 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
The report states that:
… The granddaddy of casting coups: James Bond. The Aaron Taylor-Johnson rumors are true — he sat with producer Barbara Broccoli, and the meeting went well, per sources.
So with the report alleging that the “meeting went well”, and considering that Barbara Broccoli (yes, that’s her real name!) famously is tied to the James Bond franchise and basically the James Bond producer, it’s a good sign for Taylor-Johnson’s chances at the super-spy role. He’s been debated to return to the Quicksilver mantle previously, with so many variations of the character — however that may be even less likely now that he could be up for the Bond vacancy. Especially after Evan Peters showed up in Disney+’s WandaVision (2021) as Pietro Maximoff, reprising (in a sense?) his role from the 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) X-Men Universe — albeit potentially as a different variant of the character, due to Multiverse shenanigans.
What do you think about this potential casting choice for the new James Bond with Aaron Taylor-Johnson? Share your thoughts in the comments below!