Unexpected Name Emerges In Search For New James Bond

PublishedJanuary 3, 2023 12:41 PM EST|UpdatedJanuary 3, 2023 12:41 PM EST

"James Bond" producers might be zeroing in on an unexpected man to take over as the legendary character.

Daniel Craig's final film as 007 was "No Time to Die," and the hunt has been going on for years to find his replacement.

Now, producers have met with actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson. Specifically, producer Barbara Broccoli and Taylor-Johnson had a meeting that "went well," according to Puck's Matthew Belloni.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson emerges as possible option to be James Bond. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)

However, there is one major potential roadblock raised by Belloni. The actor has two major movies - "Kraven the Hunter" and "The Fall Guy" coming out that could make him "too famous to take on" the role of 007.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be an unexpected choice.

I'm sure most of you reading this definitely didn't expect to hear the name Aaron Taylor-Johnson as a potential frontrunner.

Many of you might not even know who he is at all. While he's been in some major films such as "Savages, "Kick-Ass," "Outlaw King," "Tenet" and "Bullet Train," he definitely seems like a name out of left field.

Will Aaron Taylor-Johnson be the next James Bond? (Photo by Jun Sato/WireImage)

Historically speaking, he's not the guy who gets casted to carry a major tentpole film. He's an outstanding role player.

Of course, that doesn't mean he can't be James Bond. Daniel Craig and Pierce Bronson both had relatively mild profiles before taking over as 007.

Are there better choices out there to play James Bond?

For awhile it looked like Idris Elba was going to be the frontrunner going into any decision. However, it appears that's definitely no longer the case.

A guy whose name has also been floated a bit is Richard Madden. Back in 2021, Madden was asked about being Bond, and very casually managed to weasel out of giving an answer.

Given his great performances in "Game of Thrones" and "Bodyguard," I've always viewed him as a great possible choice.

Given the fact a new movie should be out in the next few years, a decision has to be made soon. If it's Taylor-Johnson, it's definitely going to throw a lot of fans for a loop.