Aaron Taylor-Johnson Responds to James Bond Rumors, Does Not Want to Jinx It

Kraven the Hunter star Aaron Taylor-Johnson continues to play things suspiciously coy when discussing his potential as the next James Bond. In a new interview with Esquire, Taylor-Johnson once again addresses the ongoing rumors that he is a favorite to take over from Daniel Craig as 007, responding with “It’s not really for me to say anything,” when the subject is broached.

Asserting that he is simply focussing on what is going on in his career at present, namely the comic book movie outing Kraven the Hunter, the publication notes that at no point does Taylor-Johnson shut down the idea of taking over as James Bond, nor does he refute the rumors that he recently impressed in a screen test for longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli.

Earlier this year, Taylor-Johnson described the 007 rumors as “flattering,” and revealed his concerns that he could jinx things if he discusses them too much. “You can have something really positive [written about you], but you can also have something really negative that can circulate,” he said. “You just want to stay in your lane, stay grounded, stay around the people that you love and love you back, and stay in that world. Because the moment you start believing the sh*t people say about you, you’ve lost your f**king mind. You’ve lost it.”

While we await the reveal of who will play the next iteration of James Bond, the current odds find Taylor-Johnson as a favorite at 3/1, alongside Happy Valley star James Norton at 9/2, Man of Steel actor Henry Cavill at 9/2, and Taylor-Johnson’s The King’s Man co-star Harris Dickinson at 5/1.

RELATED: How Aaron Taylor-Johnson Could Reinvent 007

Aaron Taylor-Johnson Will Next Lead Kraven the Hunter

While Aaron Taylor-Johnson has seemingly avoided starring in too many blockbusters over the last few years, things have changed, with the actor all set to lead the Marvel/Sony outing Kraven the Hunter. Based on the Marvel supervillain of the same name, Kraven the Hunter will tell the visceral story about how and why one of Marvel’s most iconic villains came to be. Set before his notorious vendetta with Spider-Man, Kraven the Hunter finds the character gaining various superpowers and a connection with the animal kingdom, using both to hunt down those who he believes are the real bad guys.

Directed by J. C. Chandor and written by Art Marcum, Matt Holloway, and Richard Wenk, Kraven the Hunter stars Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the title role alongside Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose (West Side Story) as Calypso, a voodoo priestess and Kraven’s love interest; Academy Award winner Russell Crowe (Gladiator, Man of Steel) as Kraven’s father; Fred Hechinger (The Pale Blue Eye, Gladiator 2) as Dmitri Smerdyakov aka The Chameleon, a master of disguise and Kraven’s half-brother; Alessandro Nivola (The Many Saints of Newark) as Aleksei Sytsevich aka The Rhino; and Christopher Abbott (Possessor, It Comes at Night) as main antagonist, The Foreigner.

Kraven the Hunter is scheduled to be released in the United States on August 30, 2024.