Top Hollywood director agrees Aaron Taylor-Johnson would be an ‘amazing Bond’-Tori Brazier-Entertainment – Metro

Bond contender Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been given support in the role by his latest director (Picture: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images)

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has got another supporter in his corner as James Bond, courtesy of director David Leitch.

The pair have just worked together on upcoming movie The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling and Emily Blunt, which delves behind the scenes into the world of dangerous stunts.

During press for the film, Leitch was only too happy to discuss the rumours swirling Taylor-Johnson, even if the star himself seems slightly over it.

The 48-year-old filmmaker also previously worked with the Kraven the Hunter actor – who has been widely tipped to succeed Daniel Craig as 007 – on Bullet Train.

‘He would be an amazing James Bond. I’ll just go on the record like, I’ve never gotten to do enough action with Aaron, which is crazy,’ the filmmaker enthused.

Discussing an essential skill Taylor-Johnson would bring to the role of Bond, he added to CinemaBlend: ‘We’ve done Bullet Train and now, we’ve done The Fall Guy. What I really want to do is an action movie with him, because he’s such an incredible athlete. Like, Aaron is awesome.’

David Leitch, right, praised the star as an athlete and said he would be an ‘amazing Bond’ after they worked on The Fall Guy(Picture: Dave Benett/Getty Images for Uni)

Leitch would know too, having also helmed films including John Wick, Deadpool 2 and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

It then appeared he could be declaring his ambition to collaborate with him on a film in the famous spy franchise.

‘So, maybe we’ll get that opportunity soon, and I’ll get to direct Bond,’ he quipped, hinting heavily to the camera.

It was reported in March that Eon Productions – the company behind the franchise – had contacted Taylor-Johnson with a formal offer for the part, although those reports were later rubbished.

However, he had consistently been named as the favourite for producer Barbara Broccoli to bestow the licence to kill upon since 2022 and rumours of a secret audition.

When asked if he gets ‘sick of being asked about Bond’ at The Fall Guy’s UK premiere on Monday by AP, the Nowhere Boy shut down the exchange rather tersely.

Taylor-Johnson formed a memorable double act with Bryan Tyree Henry in Bullet Train, which Leitch also directed (Picture: Scott Garfield)

After a painstaking pause, punctuated with a sigh, Taylor-Johnson chuckled before bluntly replying, ‘Are you sick of asking the question?’.

‘I want to know, so no,’ the reporter responded, which led to the actor telling her to ‘have a good one’, as he shut down any further conversation and moved along the press line.

 He’s no shortage of fans in high places though, from his Back to Black filmmaker wife Sam Taylor-Johnson to ex-Bond Pierce Brosnan also having given their seal of approval to the potential casting.

During an appearance on The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTE Radio 1, Brosnan said: ‘I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.’

As well as Leitch quipping about directing Bond, Taylor-Johnson’s wife Sam has said he would be ‘great’ in the role (Picture: StillMoving for StudioCanal)

Former 007 Pierce Brosnan also said he felt the Kraven the Hunter actor had ‘the chops’ for the role (Picture: Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic)

The Golden Eye star, 70, worked together with Taylor-Johnson, 33, on the 2009 film The Greatest and was impressed when he heard the news that he could be donning the tuxedo.

Brosnan – who played Bond in four pictures between 1995 and 2002 – recalled: ‘One of the first movies we made, one of our earliest movies, was The Greatest – and he was in it. He was The Greatest in it. It’s a lovely movie with Aaron and Carey Mulligan and Susan Sarandon and myself.

‘So yes, I read the news about his possibilities of being a Bond, so I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow.’

The Fall Guy is out in cinemas on Friday, May 3.

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