Starring in a major franchise like the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s Avengers would be a big deal for any actor. Not only does it hold the potential to be a major payday for the performer, but it also helps to bring their name (and face) to a global audience. In short, it can be a gamechanger for anyone’s career. For one talent, though, the allure of blockbuster movies isn’t all it is made out to be.
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In Avengers: Age of Ultron, Aaron Taylor-Johnson portrays Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, who like his sister, Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), starts off as an antagonist before switching sides. Unfortunately, Quicksilver becomes a human shield for Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) in the final act, marking his stint in the MCU both short and tragic. Nonetheless, Taylor-Johnson is now set to play another comic book character as he brings Sergei Kravinoff to life in the upcoming Kraven the Hunter film.
From Kick-Ass to the Avengers
For Aaron Taylor-Johnson, he had built up a career for himself from a young age. However, it was his starring role in Matthew Vaughn’s Kick-Ass that brought him to mainstream prominence in 2010. Based on the comic book series by Mark Millar and John Romita, Jr., this darker and mature superhero film showed a different side of him as a performer. Expectedly, he returned for the sequel in 2013 before shifting to another comic book movie franchise the following year.
In the mid-credits scene of 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Taylor-Johnson and Elizabeth Olsen debuted as Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch respectively. It was a slightly humorous chain of events, as another version of Quicksilver (played by Evan Peters) appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past merely weeks later. Of course, this was all due to corporate nonsense between Marvel Studios and Fox, which was eventually ironed out.
While Olsen went on to have a major part in the MCU films after Avengers: Age of Ultron, Taylor-Johnson’s one-and-done deal felt anticlimactic, especially considering Quicksilver’s presence and popularity in Marvel Comics. That being said, it doesn’t seem like it bothered the actor too much as he had other priorities.
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Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s priorities weren’t blockbusters
Speaking to Esquire, Aaron Taylor-Johnson explained how he doesn’t like to hop from movie to movie like a regular actor. He prefers to be picky with his projects, so he can spend more time with his family. He said he had this realisation when he first started being cast in blockbuster movies and knew it wasn’t something he wanted to be a part of on a lasting basis.
“There was Kick-Ass and then there was Godzilla and Avengers, and all those things lined up for me,” he said. “But I didn’t really care for them.” Taylor-Johnson admitted he probably wasn’t ready to handle the type of expectation so early on in his career, which also added to his nonchalant attitude toward these movies.
Interestingly, Taylor-Johnson also made mention of other major franchise offers he received, which he turned down. Before Robert Pattinson was cast in Matt Reeves’ The Batman, there had been rumours circulating that Taylor-Johnson was another actor being looked at for the role. In all likelihood, he must have at least been considered for the part of Batman at some point.
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What do his comments tell us about Kraven the Hunter?
Judging by his attitude toward blockbusters and franchises, it doesn’t appear like Aaron Taylor-Johnson will be playing Kraven in too many films moving forward. The actor has shown he isn’t averse to returning for sequels as he did with Kick-Ass 2; however, don’t expect him to become a regular fixture in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe like Robert Downey, Jr. was in the Avengers movies. Maybe Kraven’s first hunt will also be his last.