The race to be Denis Villeneuve‘s 007 is hotting up, however Taron Egerton has bowed out.
The actor, recognized for his roles within the Kingsman films and as Elton John in Rocketman, might have been thought-about a frontrunner for James Bond after step-siblings Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson formally handed over the rights to Amazon earlier this 12 months. He’s younger, match and British, has confirmed he can play an important spy — why not?
“I feel I’m too messy for that,” Egerton instructed Collider on Tuesday. “I feel I’m not [the right fit]— I actually love James Bond and significantly Daniel Craig’s tenure.”
“However I feel I wouldn’t be good at it,” he continued, “and I feel there’s so many cool, youthful actors who could be nice for it. I feel it might be wasted on me, in all probability.”
Egerton added that the position could be “fairly an endeavor” at this stage in his profession. “So far as I’m conscious, no person’s asking me to do it. But in addition, it’s probably not fairly the factor that might make me happiest,” he mentioned, referring to the restrictive nature of taking part in Bond. “It type of consumes your life, a task like that.”
In a 2023 interview, Egerton mentioned it was his weight that put him off the duty of Bond. “I’ve all the time struggled with my weight,” he mentioned in an interview with The Telegraph. “[Bond] is a bit like being a model ambassador in addition to being an actor. And that may very well be actually enjoyable in microcosm, however I’m certain I learn that Barbara Broccoli mentioned that it’s a 15-year dedication.”
Rumors are nonetheless swirling about who’ll be tapped to take over from Daniel Craig after Dune director Villeneuve was confirmed to helm the subsequent period of the James Bond franchise.
“I grew up watching James Bond movies with my father,” the Canadian gushed in an announcement after the information broke. “I’m a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the custom and open the trail for a lot of new missions to come back.”
The Hollywood Reporter lately took an in-depth take a look at the director’s portfolio to determine whether or not he’s the best man for the job.