Kraven the HunterstarAaron Taylor-Johnsoncontinues to play things suspiciously coy when discussing his potential as the nextJames Bond. In a new interview withEsquire, Taylor-Johnson once again addresses the ongoing rumors that he is a favorite to take over from Daniel Craig as 007, responding with “It’s not really for me to say anything,” when the subject is broached.
“I’ve spent two years making Kraven. So all that hard work we put into trying to get that to where it is—that’s where I’m at right now. I just focus on the things I can have in my hands right now. What’s in front of me right now.”
Asserting that he is simply focussing on what is going on in his career at present, namely the comic book movie outingKraven the Hunter, the publication notes that at no point does Taylor-Johnson shut down the idea of taking over asJames Bond, nor does he refute the rumors that he recently impressed in a screen test for longtimeJames Bondproducer Barbara Broccoli.
Earlier this year, Taylor-Johnsondescribed the 007 rumors as “flattering,”and revealed his concerns that he could jinx things if he discusses them too much. “You can have something really positive [written about you], but you can also have something really negative that can circulate,” he said. “You just want to stay in your lane, stay grounded, stay around the people that you love and love you back, and stay in that world. Because the moment you start believing the sh*t people say about you, you’ve lost your f**king mind. You’ve lost it.”
While we await the reveal of who will play the next iteration ofJames Bond, the current odds find Taylor-Johnson as a favorite at 3/1, alongsideHappy Valleystar James Norton at 9/2,Man of Steelactor Henry Cavill at 9/2, and Taylor-Johnson’sThe King’s Manco-star Harris Dickinson at 5/1.
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While Aaron Taylor-Johnson has seemingly avoided starring in too many blockbusters over the last few years, things have changed, with the actor all set to lead the Marvel/Sony outingKraven the Hunter. Based on the Marvel supervillain of the same name,Kraven the Hunterwill tellthe visceral story about how and whyone of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Set before his notorious vendetta with Spider-Man,Kraven the Hunterfinds the character gaining various superpowers and a connection with the animal kingdom, using both to hunt down those who he believes are the real bad guys.
Directed by J. C. Chandor and written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk,Kraven the Hunterstars Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the title role alongside Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) as Calypso, a voodoo priestess and Kraven’s love interest; Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Man of Steel) as Kraven’s father; Fred Hechinger (The Pale Blue Eye, Gladiator 2) as Dmitri Smerdyakov aka The Chameleon, a master of disguise and Kraven’s half-brother; Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark) as Aleksei Sytsevich aka The Rhino; and Christopher Abbott (Possessor, It Comes at Night) as main antagonist, The Foreigner.
Kraven the Hunteris scheduled to be released in the United States on August 22, 2025.
