Aaron Taylor-Johnson has already been working on a major new Sony Spider-Man movie for two years, and he unfortunately has over a year to go until the Kraven the Hunter release date. And even more unfortunately for him, he’s probably going to be asked about James Bond in every interview between now and then.
In an extensive new interview with Esquire conducted before the actors’ strike, Taylor-Johnson’s frustration with being asked about the world’s most famous spy was already palpable. The interviewer tried to bring up Taylor-Johnson’s Ladbroke odds, which had him as one of the favorites to take over from Daniel Craig as James Bond… and was quickly shut down.
“As I’ve already told you, I have to go by the beat of my own drum. It’s my own path, what feels intuitive to me. I’ve never made a decision based on other people’s perspectives, or their judgments, or their expectations….You’ve got to stay on track with what’s present in front of you. Kraven is what’s in front of me.” Kraven the Hunter is a Spider-Man villain who resides in Sony’s offshoot of Marvel characters (which also includes Venom and Morbius).
Tyalor-Johnson responded to further probing with; “It’s not really for me to say anything,” and “I just focus on the things I can have in my hands right now. What’s in front of me right now.” The interviewer says that; “it’s worth noting that at any point Taylor-Johnson could have shut this down by saying, ‘No, mate, I’m not fucking playing James Bond,’ and he never does.”
Another contender has now over-taken Taylor-Johnson as the current favorite – and that’s Happy Valley and Grantchester actor James Norton. Reading Taylor-Johnson talk about his work-life balance in the Esquire interview, it would be very surprising if he went from the major superhero movie to being James Bond, but we’ll have to wait and see.
Check out our guide to the best spy movies and the best action movies. And be sure you know how to watch the James Bond movies in order. Also, check out our guide to all of the Spider-Man movies, ranked, and to the best Spider-Man actors.