A controversial James Bond candidate has someone ready and willing to take the credit if they land the role

As one of the most coveted roles in all of cinema, any British actor with either an established or burgeoning reputation is going to find themselves linked with becoming the next James Bond at one stage or another.

Daniel Craig left an incredibly tough act to follow after bowing out in No Time to Die, but the good news is that whoever becomes the latest incumbent of the tux has a completely blank slate to start over after the epic blockbuster concluded with 007 being blown to total and utter smithereens – making him the first iteration of the character to die onscreen.

One name that caused a surprising amount of negative buzz a couple of weeks back was that of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who we all know looks mighty dapper in a suit – and also happens to be a fantastic actor. We’re not entirely sure why there was so much backlash towards the upcoming Kraven the Hunter star landing the gig, but director Gurinder Chadha is ready to take the credit if it happens, as she revealed at the Red Sea Film Festival.

“I had to fight with Paramount Studios at the time [to cast Johnson in Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging]. ‘I think he’s going to be a big star’, I said, ‘Trust me and cast him.’ Of course, I will take complete credit,”

Johnson would make a solid James Bond under the right circumstances, but it’ll be a long time before we find out the identity of the next leading man. It could be next year, or it could be the year after that, although we can guarantee there’s going to be an outpouring of opinion and criticism regardless.