Aaron Taylor-Johnson's most disturbing role as he's lined up for Bond

*Contains spoilers for Nocturnal Animals*

No-one has made sitting on the toilet with no clothes look as menacing as Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

Does that stand him in good stead for the role of James Bond? Undoubtedly not, but his role in 2016’s Nocturnal Animals is a standout moment which showed him at his disturbing best.

One of the most memorable scenes from the chilling thriller shows his character, Ray Marcus, sitting, naked, on a toilet after leading a gang to commit the murder of a mother and daughter, leaving their bodies abandoned like discarded takeaway boxes.

The 33-year-old’s roles in the lighthearted romps Kick-Ass and (going back to his very early days) Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging made him a star, but it was his turn in Tom Ford’s stylish but brutal movie that showed his versatility and ability to captivate with a role far outside of his comfort zone.

Taylor-Johnson won a Golden Globe for his performance in Nocturnal AnimalsFocus Features

The speculation surrounding Bond has led to dozens of rumours over the years, with the intrigue kicking up after Daniel Craig left after No Time To Die in 2021. Taylor-Johnson’s name always seems to have been thrown around in those discussions over recent years, and is now “expected to accept the role” imminently.

According to The Sun, Eon Productions are hoping to start filming the 26th Bond film later this year, and 33-year-old Taylor-Johnson is their choice for the part

A source told the outlet: “Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back.

“As far as Eon is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement.”

It’s no great surprise. We were previously told that the producers were looking for a new Bond in their 30s, and the kinds of roles Taylor-Johnson has been taking on over recent years could be taken as mini-auditions for the role.

Nocturnal Animals (2016) - Did They Suffer? Scene (5/10) | Movieclipswww.youtube.com

Tenet showed he would never look out of place suited up in a big budget action film (albeit one that arguably ended up being an indulgent technical exercise rather than a movie with any heart). He played a British assassin, too, in Bullet Train, which can’t have hurt his chances.

But despite playing the title character in Kick-Ass and taking on headline roles in things like the John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy, Taylor-Johnson has never stolen scene after scene like he did in Nocturnal Animals.

Then in his mid 20s, playing a slimmed-down, unkempt version of himself, embodying the psychopathic gang leader looking to indulge his murderous fantasies on an innocent family, he showed just how committed and capable he can be to bringing memorable parts to the screen.

Bond is less chaotic, and a far more clinical killer than Ray Marcus, but the edge required to bring him to life is there to see in Ford’s film – it gives us faith that he’ll prove anything but a bog standard 007.

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