Taron Egerton has experience in the spy genre thanks to his work in the Kingsman franchise, but moviegoers shouldn’t expect him to become the next James Bond. In an interview with Collider to promote his new film She Rides Shotgun, Egerton was asked about the possibility of suiting up as the next 007. The actor took himself out of the running, as he feels he wouldn’t be a “good choice” for the role. Not only is Egerton at a point in his career where he’s seemingly more interested in pursuing smaller-scale projects, he doesn’t think he’d be happy fulfilling all of the obligations that come with being James Bond.
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“No. And I don’t think I’m a good choice for it,” Egerton said. “I think I’m too messy for that. I think I’m not— I really love James Bond and particularly Daniel Craig’s tenure. But I think I wouldn’t be good at it, and I think there’s so many cool, younger actors who would be great for it. I think it would be wasted on me, probably … it’s possibly not quite the thing that would make me happiest. I do think it’s a big old undertaking, it kind of consumes your life, a role like that.”
After Amazon assumed full creative control over the James Bond franchise earlier this year, progress is being made on the next film in the long-running series. Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve has been hired to helm James Bond 26, which will be his next project after he finishes work on Dune: Messiah (currently in production). No release date has been set, but reports indicate Amazon would like Bond 26 to hit theaters in 2028.
With Villeneuve in tow, the next order of business is casting the next James Bond actor. In late June, a reported wishlist surfaced, indicating that Amazon was seeking “a British actor under the age of 30.” Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson were among the names being considered. The age stipulation would take popular fan choices, like Henry Cavill and Idris Elba, out of the running.
Egerton is 35, which might have put him out of the running as well, but it’s still interesting to see him be so open about not wanting to be Bond. While Villeneuve is the type of director actors would love to work with, Egerton does make good points about the nature of the role. Being the face of a franchise like James Bond is an incredibly time-consuming process; not only are the film productions themselves lengthy affairs, there’s also global press tours and other responsibilities. Signing on for a blockbuster series can potential limit the number of creative opportunities that are available to an actor, essentially keeping them confined to one character for an extended period of time. With Egerton seeking out projects that “speak to me on a creative level a little bit more,” it’s understandable why he’d balk at the prospect of being James Bond.
Whoever Amazon gets to be 007 will be expected to carry the torch for several years and multiple films. As Egerton says, that’s a massive undertaking that isn’t for everyone — even if on the surface, they seem like they would be a good pick for the part (Egerton charmed audiences as Eggsy in the Kingsman movies, which were influenced heavily by James Bond). It’ll be interesting to see who ultimately follows Daniel Craig’s footsteps. Perhaps Amazon will go with a relative unknown, allowing the actor to easily disappear into the role.
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