Even before Daniel Craig's last outing as James Bond in 2021's "No Time To Die," there was rampant speculation about who would be next to don the tux. And it seems we can now rule out Taron Egerton. The "Kingsman: The Secret Service" star had been one of the many names suggested as a possible replacement for Craig, who hung up his Walther PPK after 15 years as 007. But according to a new TotalFilm interview with Egerton, not only is he not picking up the 007 mantle; he believes the producers have already found someone else.

When asked about being linked to Bond, the star of Apple TV+'s upcoming "Tetris" movie said, "Yeah. I mean, I think they've already got someone, and it's not me." That's a bigger development than it may seem, considering longtime Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has remained tight-lipped about the casting process. In fact, she previously suggested that filming for the next Bond film was a couple of years away, telling Deadline in 2022 that, "nobody's in the running" to play the super spy and that there wasn't even a script.

Outside of these general updates about the slow casting process, there's been frustratingly little information about who might be stepping into the Bond role. We know Broccoli and fellow producer Michael G. Wilson are looking for a 10 to 12-year commitment from whomever they choose, and are aiming to cast an actor who can convincingly play a Bond in his 30s. This all seemed perfectly within Egerton's range, but it appears he won't be the one suiting up.

We Could Be Close To An Announcement

Despite Barbara Broccoli's 2022 assertion that "nobody's in the running," the latest update from Taron Egerton could suggest we're close to an official announcement. Broccoli was quoted in Variety back in 2021, saying that a casting decision was, "going to be a couple of years off." With that in mind, we should be due some sort of update in the coming months. Last year, we learned that a new James Bond likely wouldn't be cast until the producers had decided on a villain for him to go up against. And thus far, there's been no official word in that department. But with "No Time To Die" originally slated for a 2020 release before being pushed to 2021, Broccoli and co. have had more than enough time to get the casting process going, lending credence to Egerton's comment about them already having someone.

2022 was, according to Broccoli, the year she, Michael G. Wilson, and longtime Bond casting director Debbie McWilliams would start their search for a new 007. And alongside Egerton, some of the big names making the rounds were "Euphoria" actor Jacob Elordi and "Bridgerton" star Regé-Jean Page. For a long time, Henry Cavill was also mooted as a replacement for Craig, but considering the former Superman star is about to turn 40, his casting seems less and less likely. As does 50-year-old Idris Elba, whose name has been consistently in the conversation since Craig departed. Until now, it's all been a bit mysterious. But if Egerton's comments are accurate, we could be learning more in the very near future.

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The post Taron Egerton Is Not Playing James Bond, Suggests Producers Already Have Their New 007 appeared first on /Film.