The hunt for Daniel Craig’s James Bond successor has seeminglly been heating up in recent months, as multiple rising and established stars gaining and losing ground in the race. All the while, fans and pundits have shared their takes on who should become the iconic spy. Eon Productions, which is behind the long-running franchise, has been open about its intention to cast a younger 007. With that, actors like Regé-Jean Page and Aaron Taylor-Johnson have constantly been brought up. Now, the two actors have responded to those ongoing casting rumors and their odds of landing the part.
Regé-Jean Page was the odds-on favorite to assume the 007 mantle for the longest time. Of course, his role as the suave Simon Basset in Bridgerton Season 1 helped to put him on the producers' radar. However, the actor has mostly ignored the chatter despite having ties to the spy franchise. The actor seemed honored as he addressed talks of him being high on the list to become Daniel Craig’s successor:
It’s a conversation people are having, and it’s terribly flattering that they’re having it. I leave them to it.
The rising star has already stepped into the spy action genre with interesting turns in Survivor and Netflix’s The Gray Man. So he’s proven he’s ready for international espionage and intense action. He also displayed the suave charisma needed to portray the beloved agent, who's well-loved by the ladies. While many fans are pushing for him to become the next Bond, Regé-Jean Page himself isn't sure if he could fit the franchise into his full slate, as he said to Vanity Fair:
I have no idea. It’s not a thing that is fully occupying my thoughts. I’ve got enough on my plate at the moment. I worry about the work I have, not other people’s jobs.
He's already preoccupied with multiple projects, including an untitled Butch Cassidy and Sundance Kid Amazon series. He also has a potential franchise in the works with Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, which arrives in theaters in March.
Vanity Fair also caught up with Aaron Taylor-Johnson to discuss those rumors about him being interviewed to play 007. The casting rumor has grown to the point that fans are pitching Taylor-Johnson for the spy role. Much like Regé-Jean Page, the Bullet Train star appeared flattered by those pushing for him to become 007. He also spoke about staying humble as the Bond buzz increases:
It’s flattering. You can have something really positive [written about you], but you can also have something really negative that can circulate. 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 shit people say about you, you’ve lost your fucking mind. You’ve lost it.
The Kick-Ass star has grown into a major action star since his breakthrough role. He’s appeared in several other blockbusters, including Avengers: Age of Ultron, Tenet, and The King’s Man. Keeping all of that in mind, he's perfect for 007. Just like his Bond competitor, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has multiple projects in the works, including Kraven the Hunter, which is part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
While Regé-Jean Page and Aaron Taylor-Johnson are high on the list, they might have some competition from Emily in Paris’ Lucien Laviscount, who caught the eyes of the producers. At least the three actors won’t have to worry about a certain element – the Idris Elba factor – as the movie star has essentially ditched James Bond to take his beloved character, John Luther, to the big screen. While fans await word on the new 007, you can stream past Bond flicks, many of which require an Amazon Prime Video subscription to check out.
