Pierce Brosnan isn’t shying away from sharing his thoughts on the future of James Bond. 

And according to the former 007, Aaron Taylor-Johnson might just have what it takes to slip into the iconic tux.

When asked about the rumors swirling around Taylor-Johnson as a frontrunner for the role, Brosnan had nothing but praise for the 34-year-old actor. 

“I think he would be very good,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. 

He also had a personal connection to back up his endorsement, recalling their time working together on the 2009 drama The Greatest. 

“I cast him in one of the movies I made a long time ago called The Greatest, actually, and he played ‘the greatest.’”

The film, directed by Shana Feste, saw Brosnan and Susan Sarandon as grieving parents mourning the loss of their son, played by Taylor-Johnson, whose girlfriend (Carey Mulligan) arrives pregnant with his child. 

Reflecting on their time on set, Brosnan recalled being impressed by Taylor-Johnson’s presence and performance. 

“This young man came on the set and took the space, filled the space with passion and energy,” he said. “So yeah, I think if he wished it, wanted it, and got it, he would be great.”

Of course, Brosnan knows a thing or two about being Bond, having played the suave superspy in GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). 

As the franchise looks ahead under its new partnership with Amazon MGM Studios and longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, Brosnan kept his final thoughts simple and classy, “I wish them all well.”

Whether Taylor-Johnson is truly the next 007 remains to be seen, but if Brosnan’s word carries any weight, MI6 may want to keep an eye on him.