Taron Egerton rules himself out as next James Bond

While he may be a Kingsman, it seems he’ll never be a Bond, as Taron Egerton has ruled himself out as the next 007.

The job of the next James Bond is currently up for grabs, and who will be playing the iconic 007 is anyone’s guess at this point.

There’s been some Hollywood members coming forward about who they think it should be, such as the Russo Brothers wanting Regé-Jean Page to star, but there’s still no official word on who will be replacing the exiting Daniel Craig.

However, one actor who has been considered a front-runner is now bowing out of the race: Kingsman and Rocket Man star Taron Egerton, and it’s for a specific reason.

Egerton doesn’t think he’s right choice for Bond

When responding to rumors about him being in line for 007, Taron Egerton revealed that doesn’t think he’d make a good James Bond. Why? Because of his weight.

“I don’t think I’m the right choice for it,” he stated to The Telegraph. “You have to be consistently statuesque to be that guy. And that’s something that I am still striving for. I’ve always struggled with my weight.”

Not only that, but the commitment that Bond would require also seemed like a lot. Egerton explained that it’s “a bit like being a brand ambassador as well as being an actor. And that could be really fun in microcosm, but I’m sure I read that [producer] Barbara Broccoli said that it’s a 15-year commitment.”

But whether or not he wants to, Egerton added that he may not even be a candidate: “It’s sort of irrelevant how I feel about it, anyway, because I can tell you there have been zero phone calls.”

Next Bond requires extensive casting process

Producer Barbara Broccoli recently shared to Variety that creating the next Bond was a “big decision” for the entire direction of the franchise: “It’s not just casting a role. It’s about a whole rethink about where we’re going.”

During an “In Conversation” event at the British Film Institute to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the character, another Bond producer, Michael G. Wilson, revealed that the new Bond should be “already a veteran” and has to be a “30-something” actor.

Wilson also shared that each Bond candidate much audition using a scene from the 1963 movie From Russia With Love. The scene involves Sean Connery’s Bond as he confronts Soviet Tatiana Romanova, who appears naked in his bed.

“We always use the same scene, and that’s the one in From Russia With Love, where Bond comes back to his room after the assassination, and he starts taking off his shirt, goes into the room to bathe. Then he hears something, takes his gun, goes in and the girl’s in the bed,” he revealed. “That was the test we use. Anyone who can bring that scene off is right for Bond. It’s tough to do.”