Aaron Taylor-Johnson faces 'uphill battle' in James Bond role as new data shows worrying trend

Eon Productions told the BBC there was "no truth" to the reports but it hasn't prevented Taylor-Johnson from remaining the frontrunner to bag the highly coveted role.

But a new survey has revealed the vast majority of Bond fans and the British public don't regard Taylor-Johnson as their first choice to take over from Craig.

The survey's findings may not come as a surprise to some, however, with Henry Cavill fans urging bosses to reconsider when the reports first emerged while Theo James has also become a popular candidate.

Over 3,500 people took part in the survey conducted by William Hill Vegas and the results don't make for pleasant reading for the Bullet Train and Tenet star.

Taylor-Johnson emerged with just two percent of the votes from film fans when asked who their preferred actor to play Bond next would be.

This landed him in a distant ninth spot among the other actors who emerged in the findings.

Luther star Idris Elba bagged the sought-after top spot in the data, winning an impressive 14 percent of the vote.

The aforementioned Cavill and Tom Hardy were tied with 13 percent of the vote in second place.

Happy Valley's James Norton came in fourth with eight percent while Richard Madden, Luke Evans, and Rege-Jean Page all earned six percent of the votes.

Narrowly ahead of Taylor-Johnson at the foot of the table was Aiden Turner, who fans may know best for Poldark.

William Hill spokesperson, Lee Phelps, said of the worrying trend for Taylor-Johnson: "The search for our next James Bond actor has seen possibly its biggest development since Daniel Craig left the role over two years ago, but despite recent reports hinting at Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s potential casting, our research indicates that the British public has other favourites in mind.

"Taylor-Johnson’s two percent of the vote share from our 3,500-strong survey suggests the UK public are shaken, not stirred, by the prospect of the Kick Ass star becoming the latest 007 lead."

Instead, it’s Idris Elba who is the fan-favourite to assume the vacancy left by Craig, attracting 14 percent of the vote, while Tom Hardy’s gritty performances in similar blockbuster films have also earned him considerable acclaim (13 percent) as a contender.

"Henry Cavill’s portrayal of Superman likewise showcased his ability to embody the quintessential hero, leading 13 percent of respondents to believe he could seamlessly transition into the role of Bond.

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"The survey suggests Taylor-Johnson faces an uphill battle to win over the heart of Bond fans as the nation’s search for the eighth actor to don the 007 title inches towards closure."

While the data may not bode well for Taylor-Johnson, he has received the backing of a former Bond amid the rife speculation.

Former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan gave a glowing endorsement of Taylor-Johnson after being quizzed on the rumours.

George Lazenby, another former leading star of the franchise, has also backed Sam Taylor-Johnson's husband to succeed in the role.