Taron Egerton believes the next James Bond has already been cast.
Speaking to Total Film to promote his new movie Tetris, Egerton addressed reports of being linked to playing the next Agent 007. However, the Kingsman star quickly dismissed the rumor under the impression that EON Productions has already found their new actor. "Yeah. I mean, I think they've already got someone, and it's not me," Egerton said. "I've never been a part of the conversations. I've never met the Broccolis. They've never enquired about me. I've just never been one of the guys that they're looking at. I just don't think I'm the right person for that. I think there's much, much, much better candidates for that role than me. But, you know, I'd be a very willing audience member. They're brilliant films."
Who Will Be the Next James Bond?
Egerton's name has been on the shortlist to replace Daniel Craig as Bond alongside actors Idris Elba, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Henry Cavill. Despite Egerton's suspicion that an actor has been chosen to don the tux, longtime producer Barbara Broccoli stated in late 2022 that the search for the next Bond has not begun. Broccoli noted that the team wanted to determine the direction they wanted to take the series in first before casting.
Regarding the type of actor that Broccoli and co-producer Michael G. Wilson are looking for, the next Agent 007 has to be in their thirties, with the hiring team ruling out the possibility of casting anyone younger. "We've tried looking at younger people [for the Bond role] in the past," Wilson said. "But trying to visualize it doesn't work," Wilson said. The producer pointed out the character's veteran status, noting the spy likely had a past in Special Air Service (SAS) in the British military. As a result, casting someone younger than their 30s would not fit with Bond's background.
Another iconic role that Egerton's name has been linked to is X-Men's Wolverine. Despite approving praise from X-Men star Hugh Jackman, Egerton debunked speculation that he would replace Jackman in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "I made the mistake of saying that I had had a general meeting with at Marvel around four years ago, which is true," Egerton said. "But it got kind of spun and twisted into this thing."
Egerton will be seen next as game designer Henk Rogers when Tetris comes out exclusively on AppleTV+ on March 31. James Bond 26 does not yet have a release date.
Source: Total Film