Aaron Taylor-Johnson has scored a big win following rumors he's set to become the new James Bond.
The A Million Little Pieces star has reportedly been offered the role of 007, taking over from the most recent Bond, Daniel Craig.
Although Johnson has yet to confirm the gossip, his popularity online is soaring. The British actor has gained over 31,000 Instagram followers in just three days, taking him to 1,012,592 followers in total, according to Social Blade.
However, his Rolling Stone interview released Wednesday may also have something to do with the surge. Johnson donned a leather jacket for the cover shoot.
The 33-year-old discussed his career as an action star and marriage to director Sam Taylor-Johnson, 57, whom he met while filming the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy in 2009.
The couple share two daughters, Wylda Rae, 14, and Romy Hero Johnson, 23. The Tenet star is also stepfather to Johnson's children from her first marriage, to gallerist Jay Jopling—Angelica, 27, and Jessie, 17.
Before Johnson became a top contender for Bond, several big names were rumored to be taking over the role.
Luther star Idris Elba was said to be in the running before producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson said the 51-year-old was "too old" for the role.
"When we cast Bond, it's a 10-, 12-year commitment," Broccoli said in 2022. "He's probably thinking, Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that."
Superman actor Henry Cavill was also rumored to be the next 007 after his exit from the DC Universe, while Regé-Jean Page was suggested following his breakout role in Bridgerton.
Richard Madden, who played Robb Stark in Games of Thrones, was also mentioned, along with Beauty and the Beast's Luke Evans, English actor James Norton and A-lister Tom Hiddleston.
After Craig retired following 2022's No Time to Die—his fifth film in the Bond franchise—Wilson told Deadline the producers were looking for actors in their 30s to take on the mantle.
"[Bond's] had some experience," Wilson explained. "He isn't some kid out of high school that you can bring in and start off. That's why it works for a 30-something."
While Johnson would fit the bill, the Kick-Ass star avoided discussing the rumors in his Rolling Stone interview.
"I can only really talk about the things I'm going to show and tell," he told the magazine. "So The Fall Guy, Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter. I don't feel like I need to have a future drawn out for me. I feel like, whatever's drawn out for me, I can f****** do better."
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Sophie is a Newsweek Pop Culture and Entertainment Reporter based in Lincoln, UK. Her focus is reporting on film and ... Read more
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