Ever since Daniel Craig’s James Bond swan song in No Time to Die, the world has been waiting to learn who will be the next face of 007. For a very long time, one name has risen to the top of that list: Aaron Taylor-Johnson. The 34-year-old actor and star of various movies—from the excellent Bullet Train to the so-so Kraven the Hunter—has been rumored to be the next James Bond for a very long time. And now, his latest collaborator, director Danny Boyle, has given Bond fans new reason to think that Taylor-Johnson could definitely, maybe, become the new suave secret agent.
Speaking at CinemaCon 2025 while promoting his new film 28 Years Later, the famed Trainspotting director called out Taylor-Johnson, who is the lead in the new zombie sequel. And in mentioning Taylor-Johnson, Boyle said the actor “may or may not be the next Bond,” according to Deadline.
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Boyle was perhaps just speaking to the rumors about Taylor-Johnson becoming Bond. But then again, he also has a history with the franchise. At first, before No Time to Die was directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Boyle was working with EON and screenwriter John Hodge on a very different version of the 25th James Bond movie.
“It was all set in Russia, which is of course where Bond came from, out of the Cold War,” Boyle revealed back in 2022. “It…went back to his origins, and they [EON] just lost, what’s the word… they just lost confidence in it. It was a shame really.”
Whether or not Boyle still has his ear to the ground when it comes to new James Bond developments is unclear. But since he just finished directing Taylor-Johnson in 28 Years Later, it’s possible that Boyle knows what the actor’s next mission might be.
28 Years Later hits theaters on June 20, 2025.
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