Pierce Brosnan reacts to claims that Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be the next James Bond

Legendary James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan has reacted to claims that Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be the next 007.

Brosnan, 70, played the secret agent in films between the 1990s and early 2000s, starring in GoldenEye, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day and Tomorrow Never Dies.

The actor, who portrayed the father of Taylor-Johnson’s character in the 2009 family drama The Greatest, shared his thoughts on the reports about the 33-year-old during an appearance on RTE Radio 1’s, The Ray D’Arcy Show.

“He was the greatest in [The Greatest]. So, yes, I read the news about his possibilities of being a Bond, so I would definitely tip my hat to the fellow.

“I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so.”

Brosnan joins previous James Bond icons Jonathan Pryce (who played villain Elliot Carver in Tomorrow Never Dies) and George Lazenby (who played Bond in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) in offering their blessings to Taylor-Johnson.

Ever since Daniel Craig announced that he would bow out of the spy franchise after No Time to Die (2021), speculation has been rife over who would succeed him.

While rumoured successors have included Tom Hardy, Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page and Idris Elba – who said the “disgusting” race discourse around his possible casting put him off the idea of playing Bond – it’s been claimed that the role has already been offered to Taylor-Johnson.

According to The Sun, Eon Productions are hoping to start filming the 26th Bond film later this year, and Taylor-Johnson, whose credits include Kick-Ass, Tenet and Bullet Train, is their choice for the role.

The actor had attempted to distance himself from the role while promoting Spider-Man spin-off Kraven the Hunter, as he told Rolling Stone UK: “I can only really talk about the things I’m going to show and tell. So, The Fall Guy, Nosferatu, Kraven the Hunter.

“I don’t feel like I need to have a future drawn out for me. I feel like, whatever’s drawn out for me, I can f***ing do better.”

The outlet noted that he delivered the answer “with a wry smile”.

Elsewhere in the interview, he continued to pour water on the idea he might be Bond by saying he “doesn’t necessarily want... doing one action movie after another” to be his “brand”.