shaken not stirred

Is Kraven Our Next Bond?

Bond. James Bond. Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images

The British spy institution may have found its next leading man. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who has proven he loves a good fight scene (see: the Kraven the Hunter trailer, Bullet Train, The King’s Man, etc.), is heavily rumored to be the next James Bond. After initially making the rounds in January 2023, casting reports reached a fever pitch on March 19 amid reports that the he was formally offered the role, just ahead of his promotion cycle for Kraven, out August 30. The news comes amid a yearslong search for someone to fill the shoes of Daniel Craig, who played the fictional MI6 agent from 2006–2021. Actors Idris Elba, Regé-Jean Page, and Tom Hardy were all floated as being in the running for the job, though the former was turned off from the role after weathering racist backlash when his casting was first speculated. When asked about playing Bond during a recent Rolling Stone U.K. interview, Taylor-Johnson had no real comment. “I can only really talk about the things I’m going to show and tell,” he told the magazine before subtly flexing his upcoming IMDb slate. “So, The Fall Guy, Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter. I’m here to promote those.” Busy guy.

Is Kraven Our Next Bond?