Ever since his mainstream cinematic breakthrough in the title role of 2010’s Kick-Ass, Aaron Taylor-Johnson has shined in action films. Though he’s certainly thrived in other genres (notably winning a Golden Globe for a sinister turn in Tom Ford’s crime thriller Nocturnal Animals, and Empire’s Best Newcomer award for an early role as John Lennon in the biopic Nowhere Boy), the English actor’s striking physicality was a scene-stealing asset of action pictures as varied as Bullet Train opposite Brad Pitt, this summer’s comic action romance The Fall Guy, and of course 2015’s Avengers: Age of Ultron, where Taylor-Johnson played Pietro Maximoff aka Quicksilver.

Nearly a decade after his debut in the MCU, Taylor-Johnson returns to Marvel in Sony’s much-hyped and crucially R-rated Kraven the Hunter, where he plays the titular iconic villain. Co-starring Oscar winners Ariana DeBose and Russell Crowe and directed by All Is Lost and A Most Violent Year helmer J.C. Chandor, Kraven the Hunter presents Taylor Johnson with an opportunity to showcase his formidable action chops while presenting audiences with a morally complex take on a comic-book legend (much of the film centers on the power dynamic between Taylor-Johnson and Crowe, who plays Kraven’s crime lord father). In this exclusive discussion with Collider, Taylor-Johnson discussed his return to Marvel after nine years and working with one of his acting idols, and he responded to what we should make of the James Bond casting rumors that have surrounded him for months.

Iconic Supervillain Kraven the Hunter Inspired Aaron-Taylor Johnson to Return to Marvel

COLLIDER: Superhero movie fans certainly remember you as Quicksilver in Avengers: Age of Ultron. What is it about Kraven that drew you back to Marvel?

AARON TAYLOR-JOHNSON: It had to be this kind of character that I just felt had depth and complexity, and felt like it really had the legs to stand on— like it could go somewhere. I wanted to invest time into this character, because I believe there’s something truly unique and interesting in telling this story, tonally like this, R action, gritty and grounded, and giving the audience a character like this villainous iconic comic book character and bringing him to life. Being able to kind of give you the missing pieces, this is kind of like the origin story, we’ve given you the bit of the Kravinoffs that, when you read the comic books you see he’s full of these dark demons, especially Kraven’s Last Hunt; it’s like the end of his life. You kind of work from that backwards and go wow… I really want to get to the bottom of who he was before he became the villain. That was amazing, to collaborate with J.C. Chandor, who really understands the character and that sensibility of telling a movie like this. It’s really a gangster movie, which is cool.

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That’s certainly the vibe I got watching the Russell Crowe scenes. It’s a pleasure to see him in a role like that. It felt like there’s even the lightest bit of camp in his performance, too.

TAYLOR-JOHNSON: I love Russell Crowe. This is a Russell Crowe movie. I saw it again yesterday with JC, and it’s so dope, man. It’s so exciting. I grew up idolizing him, and to work with him was a dream. He’s such a heavyweight actor in the sense of his presence; he’s menacing, he’s demanding. The simplicity he brings is so powerful, and he’s everything that you want to see. It’s Russell Crowe giving the best performance in a long time, and it’s cool as hell.

Here’s a blunt question. Who do you think would win in a fight: Kraven or Quicksilver?

TAYLOR-JOHNSON: I think Kraven, because he’s relentless and won’t stop. I do think though, Quicksilver would keep running around and it might be a game of tag. It might be pretty boring to watch I’d say.

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Fans Who’ve Been Intrigued by Those Bond Rumors Will Find Much to Enjoy in Kraven the Hunter
Your physicality in the action scenes here is so striking and awesome to watch. There have been James Bond casting rumors for some time now, and based on your work in Kraven, it’s easy to see you’d be perfect in the role. Is there anything you can tell us about all that?

TAYLOR-JOHNSON: I would say, if that’s the flavor you like, then come and see this movie. The action scenes in this movie are insane. The places we take you are great. To have R-rated action in a superhero movie is super exciting. Come see this movie; it won’t disappoint.

Kraven the Hunter hits theaters in the US on Dec. 13.