He’s already in pole position to become the seventh James Bond.
Indeed, after months of wild speculation and enough potential candidates to fill a Saville Row shop full of smart black tuxedos, Aaron Taylor Johnson has emerged as the man most likely to replace Daniel Craig.
The actor appears to be bookies favourite for the covered role, still vacant following Craig’s departure in 2021, and the inevitable payday that comes with a licence to kill.
Already a star before playing Bond for the first time in 2005 blockbuster Casino Royale, Craig amassed a reported $100million from his six outings as the secret agent.
But should Johnson, 35, lose out to another candidate – Theo James and Henry Cavill have never been far from the top of the pecking order – he needn’t worry about where his next meal is coming from.
Having already established himself as a household name, the High Wycombe born star is said to have a net worth of more than £14.8million.
After years of wild speculation, Aaron Taylor Johnson has emerged as the man most likely to replace Daniel Craig as legendary secret agent James Bond
Already a star before playing Bond for the first time in 2005 blockbuster Casino Royale (pictured), Craig amassed a reported $100million from his six outings as the secret agent
And little wonder, his back catalogue of films include an impressive breakout role as the late John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, the titular lead in Hollywood caper Kick-Ass and a prominent role in the Marvel cinematic universe, as Pietro Maximoff.
Additionally, he is married to talented Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor Johnson after meeting on the set of Nowhere Boy – her directorial debut.
In May, the actor sparked inevitable speculation that he has already accepted the role by signing a commercial deal with Omega – the official watch provider for the Bond franchise.
Bets placed on Taylor-Johnson to become the latest star ‘with a license to kill’ subsequently surged by a whopping three times compared to the previous fortnight, according to Oddschecker.
Leon Blackman, a spokesperson for Oddschecker, said: ‘Aaron Taylor-Johnson has seen a surge of betting interest for him on the Oddschecker platform on Thursday after news broke of his watch deal with Omega.
‘67% of bets have backed him to replace Daniel Craig as 007 and he’s taken three times the number of bets on Thursday afternoon than the previous fortnight.’
Bond number five Pierce Brosnan was the first special agent to wear Omega in the 1995 film GoldenEye and the partnership has flourished ever since, with Craig wearing the brand’s Seamaster watch in his final outing, No Time To Die.
After signing the new deal, Taylor-Johnson said: ‘I have always had an appreciation for timepieces but especially for Omega.
Taylor Johnson’s back catalogue of films include an impressive breakout role as the late John Lennon in Nowhere Boy (pictured)
He also took the titular lead in Hollywood caper Kick-Ass and its sequel (pictured in Kick-Ass 2)
‘Now, after visiting the factory, I am in awe of the skill required to manufacture such a luxurious product.’
Omega’s CEO described taylor-Johnson as a ‘versatile actor with a range that covers action, thriller, romance and much more’.
And it’s precisely those qualities – and his striking good looks – that have led to the actor’s strong links to the role.
Taylor Johnson has previously played it cool when asked about the possibility of him becoming Bond, telling Esquire: ‘It’s not really for me to stay anything.’
Should he be named as Bond, the actor will be working with Steven Knight, who has signed up to write the latest James Bond movie, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed in July.
Additionally, he is married to talented Fifty Shades Of Grey director Sam Taylor Johnson after meeting on the set of Nowhere Boy – her directorial debut
Should he be named as Bond, the actor will be working with Steven Knight, who has signed up to write the latest James Bond movie, Amazon MGM Studios confirmed in July
The British screenwriter is perhaps best known as the creator of the hugely popular BBC crime drama Peaky Blinders starring Cillian Murphy.
And now he’s set to lend his talents to the long-running spy franchise by drafting the script for the newest 007 film, with Knight revealing that it has always been on his ‘bucket list’.
The latest Bond film is currently in development and is to be helmed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, with Amazon MGM Studios overseeing the project after longtime producer Barbara Broccoli gave up creative control.
Meanwhile, Amy Pascal and David Heyman are on board to produce the movie via Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films respectively, while Tanya Lapointe will serve as executive producer.
The latest Bond film is currently in development and is to be helmed by Dune director Denis Villeneuve, with Amazon MGM Studios overseeing the project
