I'm a James Bond expert, this is the secret to playing the ultimate 007: Fan ... trends now
A James Bond superfan has revealed what he believes it takes to play the very best version of the world's most famous spy - amid rabid speculation that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is on the verge of signing up to the role.
Philip Dewhurst, president of 007GB: The British James Bond Fan Club, told MailOnline he believes 33-year-old Taylor-Johnson is 'just about right' for stepping into Bond's shoes three years after Daniel Craig bowed out.
The 007 die-hard, who founded the charitable fan club in 2022, believes the English actor has already demonstrated he can fulfil the criteria necessary to be cleared for a licence to kill with some of his recent movies.
And while Mr Dewhurst himself admits he would have loved to have seen Henry Cavill take the role, he believes Kick-Ass and Marvel actor Taylor-Johnson is signing on at the right time - around the same age as Sean Connery before him.
He also revealed what he believes makes the best on-screen Bonds - and what advice he would give to Taylor-Johnson as he reportedly prepares for what will likely be his most prolific film role ever.
Philip Dewhurst, president of 007GB: The British James Bond Fan Club, believes Aaron Taylor-Johnson is a good fit for James Bond
Taylor-Johnson, 33, is reportedly on the verge of signing a deal with EON Productions to step into the shoes of the world's most famous secret agent
Daniel Craig stepped away from James Bond after more than 15 years in the role - starting with 2006's Casino Royale (pictured)
Mr Dewhurst founded his charitable 007 fan club in 2022. He is pictured here with Barbara Broccoli, who produces the Bond films
He said Taylor-Johnson's role in action movie Bullet Train showed he could look good in a suit - and showed his ability to bring something new to the table for James Bond as a character
His appearance as a military commander in Christopher Nolan's Tenet, meanwhile, could serve as valuable experience for Bond's own experience as a navy commander
A career of action movies - including Kick-Ass and its sequel (pictured) - show Taylor-Johnson will be capable of meeting the strenuous demands associated with a licence to kill
Mr Dewhurst said of the ideal Bond: 'Bond films are reflective of what is going on in the world but they don't follow the exact same blueprint.
'Craig's Bond was a bit more casual with what he wore, a bit rougher around the edges, and each actor brings something different to the role. And there's plenty of source material to work from in the books.
'The best Bonds are the ones that are somewhere in between (the source material) and what they can bring - Taylor-Johnson has it in him to be rough, but he could be romantic and he can be very suave and quite funny.
'These are all things you need to be Bond. The very best thing he could do is look at all the Bonds and take a little bit of each one, and they've all brought something to the role that is different.
'One of the reasons Brosnan was so effortless was because he just was Bond - he understood it. He had a bit of Connery, a bit of Moore, Dalton, Lazenby and it looked effortless.
'If he does the same thing, he will be fine.'
Taylor-Johnson cut his teeth acting as a child, appearing in the likes of Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and John Lennon biopic Nowhere Boy as a teen.
Action roles in films like comic book flick Kick-Ass and Godzilla, as well as his Golden Globe-winning turn as a psychopathic drifter in Nocturnal Animals, exemplified his talents in his 20s.
Now 33, he continues to embrace high-octane roles in movies like Bullet Train and Christopher Nolan's Tenet - both of which, the Bond expert reckons, set him up perfectly for
