Bend It Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha reveals she had to fight to give Aaron Taylor-Johnson one of his earliest roles. The actor is now well-known after starring in Kick-Ass and playing Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron, in addition to major roles in Godzilla, Nocturnal Animals, and the upcoming Sony Spider-Man Universe film Kraven the Hunter. However, one of his earlier roles was in Chadha’s 2008 film Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, in which he played the lead character’s musician love interest Robbie Jennings.
Per Deadline, Chadha recently spoke at the Red Sea International Film Festival in Saudi Arabia. During the conversation, she reflects on the star-making roles she has given to various actors, including future superstar Keira Knightley, who held a lead role in 2002’s Bend It Like Beckham. She also shares she is proud of casting Taylor-Johnson, who she calls “the next James Bond, we hope,” in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, though she reveals that producers initially didn’t want him until she told them “he’s going to be a great talent, a big star.” Read her full quote below:
[I also helped launch the career of] the next James Bond, we hope, Aaron Taylor Johnson, who was in my film Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging.
I had to fight with Paramount Studios who made that film. I said, “I really want to cast this guy. I think he’s huge. He’s going to be a great talent, a big star.” And they were like, “Well, no one knows who he is.” And I said, “I know. But trust me, not yet.” And then I cast him. And of course, now, if he becomes the next Bond, I will take complete credit.
Could Aaron Taylor-Johnson Actually Be The Next James Bond?
Chadha expresses her hopes that Taylor-Johnson would become the next James Bond twice in her comments. This kind of speculation has been a huge part of the cultural conversation since Daniel Craig ended his tenure in the role with 2021’s No Time to Die. While the producers of the James Bond franchise have revealed they will eventually be recasting the infamous superspy and moving forward with a new film, there has been no word as to what actor might eventually get the role, and fans have suggested they cast everyone from Tom Holland to Idris Elba to Henry Cavill.
Chadha’s comments aren’t just empty speculation, however. Taylor-Johnson is rumored to have recently auditioned for producer Barbara Broccoli (the daughter of original Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli) and wowed her, moving his name high up the list of potential candidates to take on the mantle of 007 in the currently untitled Bond 26. This also squares with the producers’ reported desire to cast a slightly younger Bond in his 30s, potentially allowing them to extend his tenure in the role even longer than Craig’s, which is now the longest in the franchise.
One thing that could potentially interfere with Taylor-Johnson being cast in the iconic role is his busy schedule. He is currently in production on the David Leitch film The Fall Guy opposite Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling, in addition to his commitment to the promotional tour for Kraven the Hunter, which premieres on October 6, 2023. Should The Fall Guy spawn a sequel or Kraven become a success that demands he return for further adventures in the Sony Spider-Man universe, he may not have time for a heavily involved production like Bond 26.
Source: Deadline