Taron Egerton has the look and the swagger to be the next James Bond — but the Kingsman star isn’t actually interested in taking on the now-vacant iconic role. In fact, he doesn’t even think he’s right for it.
He flat out said no when asked in a recent interview with Collider if he would try to get the part in the next film and went on to explain: “I don’t think I’m a good choice for it. I think I’m too messy for that.”
Egerton, who played Elton John in the 2019 biopic Rocketman, is a huge Bond fan, “particularly Daniel Craig’s tenure” as the British spy, but that doesn’t mean he thinks he could take on the role.
“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,” he said. “I think it would be wasted on me, probably.”
“James Bond is quite an undertaking and I think, one, as far as I’m aware, nobody’s asking me to do it,” Egerton added. “But also, 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.”
He’s not entirely wrong there. Bond has been played by several different actors over the years, and each of them has had “tenure” in the role that has lasted several years and films. Craig is the most recent, with his last film being 2021’s No Time To Die.
That said, Egerton did mention that he’d be up for a more “commercial” role in the future. “I think I’m [in] a period in my life where, as you say, I’ve been probably following the things that speak to me on a creative level a little bit more,” he explained during the interview. “But, you know, I’m sure I won’t feel that way forever.”
Last month, new Bond custodian Amazon MGM Studios confirmed that Denis Villeneuve will direct the next 007 movie. Villeneuve is of course the director of space epics Dune and Dune: Part Two, plus Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival.
Early this year it was confirmed that Amazon had entered into an agreement with Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the long-time producers and co-owners of the James Bond franchise, for Amazon to assume creative control of James Bond going forward.
The wait for confirmation of the next Bond himself, however, continues, although one particular Brit has emerged as a clear fan favourite. Until then, Villeneuve has one more Dune movie to make.
Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images.
Lex Briscuso is a film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
