As he is heavily linked to play James Bond, who is Aaron Taylor-Johnson and which films has he been in?

Aaron Taylor-Johnson is reportedly set to be the next actor to play fictional spy James Bond.

The 33-year-old British star, who rose to fame as a superhero in Kick-Ass and played John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, has been touted as the next 007 for some time after Chester-born Daniel Craig stepped down. The Sun reported that Eon Productions, which has made most of the films in the series adapted from Ian Fleming’s novels, has offered Taylor-Johnson the main role.

The newspaper said he is likely to sign the contract and start filming this year at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire.

Born in 1990 in High Wycombe, Aaron Taylor-Johnson began his acting career at a young age - and quickly garnered a reputation for starring in cult classics. In his early years he starred in films such as Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, featuring in Kick-Ass two years later. One of his more recent projects, Bullet Train, saw him receive abundant praise for his double-act shenanigans with Brian Tyree Henry.

Other films the British actor has starred in include The King's Man, Tenet and A Million Little Pieces

Taylor-Johnson has just finished shooting Marvel superhero film Kraven The Hunter, where he is playing the title character and Spider-Man villain. He is also set to appear in The Fall Guy, starring Ryan Gosling - slated for a 2024 release.

Last week, he was asked about Bond by Numero Magazine and said: "I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment."

Aaron Taylor-Johnson's Marvel history

Taylor-Johnson is no stranger to big franchises, with a strong connection to the Marvel movies.

After gaining cult status from films like Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and the Kick-Ass movies, Taylor-Johnson was cast as Pietro Maximoff - otherwise known as Quicksilver - first appearing in the post-credits scene of Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), and later reprised the role in Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015). Quicksilver is a superhero who can move at lightning-fast speed, with he and sister Wanda starting off as villains before joining the Avengers towards the end of the movie.

Quicksilver is killed in the final battle of Age of Ultron, but Taylor-Johnson left a lasting impression on fans, with many hopeful that he might one day return to the franchise.

This year, Taylor-Johnson is taking the lead role in Kraven The Hunter, another Marvel movie and a Sony spin-off from the Spider Man franchise. While movie is not part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) it is still a Marvel property, as the character is a Spider-Man villain in the comic books.