Will 007 be played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson? When can we expect to see the film in cinemas? And will Christopher Nolan direct?. Copy link. twitter. facebook. whatsapp. James Bond will return. Those words appeared – as is traditional – at the end of No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s final Bond outing. Even with Craig’s 007 blown to smithereens, a new actor will soon step into the gun barrel and take aim at a new era of Bond. But when? And how? The next film – the 26th Bond film – is the subject of much debate and speculation.
At present, Bond fans are at the mercy of half-sibling producers – and EON Productions’ longtime Bond custodians – Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, who offer the only real clues to Bond’s next step. Though Bond is at a fascinating juncture. Not only because the next film will be a full reboot, but because in 2022 Amazon snapped up MGM for $8.45 billion, getting part ownership of Bond, James Bond. Here’s what we know so far about Bond 26.
Ever since Daniel Craig hung up the Double-Os with No Time to Die, Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have insisted that the search for the seventh screen Bond hasn’t even started. But there were reports last year that Aaron Taylor-Johnson had been offered the role. An unnamed source told The Sun, “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it”. Though a production insider told the BBC there was “no truth in the rumours”.
ATJ deflected questions about Bond while he was on the promotional trail for Kraven the Hunter in December. He encouraged cinemagoers to see Kraven instead of giving a straight answer. He didn’t do a good enough job, however, as Kraven the Hunter predictably bombed at the box office. One producer told the Mail Online that questions would be asked within the industry about whether ATJ had the stature to carry a major franchise. “And if those questions are being raised by studios in Hollywood, the same concerns will no doubt be held at MGM Amazon who are overseeing the new Bond film with EON,” said the producer.
There could be good news for fans who still think of Sean Connery as the one true James Bond: Scottish actor Stuart Martin is the latest name to emerge as a 007 frontrunner. Martin – who appeared in Zack Snyder’s dreary Rebel Moon movies and Miss Scarlet and The Duke – has the right profile for the role: not yet super famous but on the scene. Not to mention having the looks and charisma to carry it off.
A Los Angeles film consultant told the Mail Online that Stuart Martin “has been discussed in Bond circles by those in the know”. The anonymous source added: “He is in serious contention. No-one will confirm this because EON goes all out to deny and shy away from anything concerning casting, but it would be an amazing milestone to have a Scottish Bond again.” Fellow Scot Jack Lowden, star of Slow Horses, is also said to be in contention.
Of course, most British actors of a certain age are linked at one time or another. James Norton was linked last month because of a scene in ITV drama Playing Nice, in which Norton’s character attends a gala but doesn’t wear a tuxedo. Some commentators speculated about the supposed contract stipulation that prevents Bond actors from wearing a tux in other media. Norton swatted away questioning on the subject and said he hasn’t finished his “sad dad era”.
Bond’s new face might be undecided, but his age remains reassuringly old(er). The idea of young James Bond has been bandied around. (The “young” reboot is a common go-to for hackneyed franchise flogging). Wilson shot down the idea of young Bond at a BFI event in 2022. “We’ve tried looking at younger people in the past. But trying to visualise it doesn’t work,” he said. “Remember, Bond’s already a veteran. He’s had some experience. He’s a person who has been through the wars, so to speak. He’s probably been in the SAS or something.”.
Indeed, Bond is a naval commander (average age 42) and previous actors have been appropriately un-spring chicken-like (average age 38). Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a few years younger at just 34, while Stuart Martin is a ripe-for-the-role 39 . Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams previously told the Radio Times that they looked at young actors for 2006 reboot Casino Royale, but she didn’t think the youngsters had the “gravitas” or “mental capacity” for Bond. The 28-year-old Tom Holland pitched a Bond origin story to former distributor Sony but was turned down. “I don’t think the Bond estate were particularly interested,” Holland told Total Film.
At least, that’s the word Barbara Broccoli has used to describe Bond 26 on multiple occasions – which is why EON won’t cast a new Bond until they’re sure about the series’ next step. “It’s not just about casting an actor for a film,” Broccoli told LADBible at the 2023 Baftas. “It’s about a reinvention.”. Bond’s ever-changing face aside, reinvention is nothing new. As much of a sexist, misogynist dinosaur Bond may be (M’s words, not mine), he has moved with the times – see him dealing with the end of the Cold War in GoldenEye, or muscling in on Jason Bourne’s smash-face style with Casino Royale. More importantly, Bond tends to reground himself once every generation, whenever his films get a bit daft (as No Time to Die undoubtedly did). Expect the reinvention to see Bond finding a place in the zeitgeist and following action trends, rather than being recast as a woman. “We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through,” Broccoli told Deadline in June 2022. She added: “We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time.”.
