British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been formally offered the iconic role of James Bond, according to multiple reports.

Insiders say Taylor-Johnson – known for his roles in Kick Ass and Avengers: Age of Ultron – is expected to sign the contract to appear as 007 as soon as this week.

“Bond is Aaron’s job, should he wish to accept it. The formal offer is on the table and they are waiting to hear back,” a source told Britain’s Sun newspaper.

“As far as Eon [the production company behind the Bond films] is concerned, Aaron is going to sign his contract in the coming days and they can start preparing for the big announcement.”

The development is likely to be unsurprising to many movie fans. Taylor-Johnson’s name has regularly been in the mix amid speculation about who will take over the iconic role from Daniel Craig.

Other actors also in the running have included recent Oscar-winner Cillian Murphy, Henry Cavill and James Norton, while many fans have been backing Idris Elba as the next Bond.

The Sun also reported that Taylor-Johnson was asked just last week if he wanted the role.

“I find it charming and wonderful that people see me in that role. I take it as a great compliment,” he said.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been acting since he was a child.

Who is the next James Bond, Aaron Taylor-Johnson?

Born Aaron Johnston, the British star has been acting since he was a child, with roles on stage, TV and movies.

As a teenager, he starred in the teen hit, Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging and a year later he played John Lennon in Nowhere Boy.

While working on Nowhere Boy, Taylor-Johnson met his future wife, Sam Taylor. At the time, he was 18 and she was 42.

“I met Sam as actor and director. I think we’re really great at collaborating,” he said recently in an interview with Esquire.

“But that’s not why I fell in love with her.”

The couple married in 2012, and blended their surnames – he became Aaron Taylor-Johnson, while she is known as Sam Taylor-Johnson. They have two children together, and Taylor-Johnson is also stepfather to the director’s two daughters from her previous marriage.

Taylor-Johnson’s other acting credits include Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, Bullet Train and The Fall Guy, which is yet to be released.

He has won a handful of accolades, including an Empire Award in 2010 for best newcomer and a Golden Globe in 2017 for his supporting role in Nocturnal Animals.