Aaron Taylor-Johnson accidentally set off the James Bond siren this Wednesday as he hinted to a mysterious future project at the 28 Years Later premiere.
The 35-year-old actor, who hails from High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, was asked by a reporter on the red carpet sidelines what his next project is.
“I can’t talk about it,” Johnson said as he was being escorted away.
This comes amid rumours that Taylor-Johnson is being eyed to play legendary super spy James Bond in the next instalment of the illustrious franchise.
Bond casting theories have been heating up since control of the franchise passed from British-American producer Barbara Broccoli to Amazon MGM Studios.
For many, this created fears that the quintessentially British film series would become “Americanised”, with a non-Brit cast as James Bond.
More Bond speculation was stoked by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in February after the billionaire canvassed fans' opinions on social media, asking, “Who'd you pick as the next Bond?”
A homegrown talent, Taylor-Johnson has featured in the Bond casting discussions for years. His name is often mentioned alongside the likes of Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, Regé-Jean Page, Henry Cavill, and, more recently, Harris Dickinson.
Taylor-Johnson is known for his performances in Kick Ass, Nosferatu, Bullet Train and, most recently, 28 Years Later, the third instalment of the Danny Boyle zombie series. Taylor-Johnson plays Jamie, a hyper-masculine father keen to train his son, Spike (Alfie Williams), to take out zombies, while also dealing with his sick wife Isla (Jodie Comer).
The film comes nearly 20 years on from its last instalment, 28 Weeks Later, and 23 years on from the release of the first film, 28 Days Later.
28 Years Later, which is due for release on June 20, was shot on heavily modified iPhone cameras, which Johnson described as an “amazing” experience.
Who’d you pick as the next Bond? pic.twitter.com/u7nBaRROlf
— Jeff Bezos (@JeffBezos) February 20, 2025
“It was really interesting,” the actor told reporters at Wednesday’s premiere. “Going to work every day just felt like this amazing, refreshing experience because it was experimental.
“Danny was using iPhones to shoot this movie to give it a different quality, a texture to it that felt very visceral and immersive.
“It would make me feel a bit vulnerable at times because it’s very invasive. But it was great. It makes for a really unique movie.”
Taylor-Johnson has stayed silent when it comes to his potential Bond casting, but fans spied a potential clue last month when he signed a deal with Omega — the official watch provider of James Bond. The actor is now a global ambassador for the timepiece brand, leading many to believe he was a shoo-in for the 007 role.
So, could Aaron Taylor-Johnson be moving from one cult franchise to another? Time will tell.
