A few days ago, The InSneider reported that Aaron Taylor-Johnson was no longer in the running to play James Bond. Did the bombing of ‘Kraven’ deflate his stock? Possibly.
Regardless, the hunt is still on for the next actor to play 007, and a THR prediction is curiously making the rounds. They’re saying the consensus formed around Taylor-Johnson is no longer there and that he will not be the next 007.
Instead, THR’s gut tells them that it will be an English actor “poised on the cusp” of superstardom: Josh O’Connor.
What a coincidence then that O’Connor and Daniel Craig were recently featured in conversation as part of Variety’s “Actors on Actors” series. Yes, they both worked with Luca Guadagnino on movies this year, but who knows, maybe there’s more to it than just that. They even chat about Bond.
O’Connor is known to mainstream audiences for “The Crown,” but his movie career is going full-steam ahead (“Challengers,” “La Chimera”). He’s a bonafide great actor. His playing 007 would be as faithful to the character Ian Fleming created as any actor.
It also helps his case that O' Connor actually looks like the Bond featured and described in Fleming's characterization: blue eyes, dark hair, 6ft tall, and athletic. I’m sold on this casting.