The internet lit up last week over rumors that Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 33, might be the new James Bond. The next contender to play 007 has long been a source of conversation for the British media — chatter that started well before Daniel Craig even announced he was leaving the role in 2019. The frenzy for armchair casting has meant that virtually every British actor between the ages of 20 and 45 — including Tom Hardy, Tom Hiddleston, James Norton, Regé-Jean Page and Idris Elba — has been bandied about as a possibility. But rumors that Mr. Taylor-Johnson had been “formally offered” the role seem more pervasive than most.
Would Mr. Taylor-Johnson be an inspired choice? He ticks at least two criteria present in previous Bonds: He’s a man, and he’s got a British accent.
An English actor and star of movies like “Kick-Ass,” “Nocturnal Animals” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Mr. Taylor-Johnson has also received public backing from former Bonds including Pierce Brosnan, who is Irish, and George Lazenby, who is Australian.
In advance of the official casting announcement, members of the Styles desk discussed who might inherit the most famous tuxedo in cinema.
