Inside Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s shredded two-year transformation that made him quit one thing

Aaron Taylor-Johnson has revealed the lengths he went to in preparation for his latest movie role.

The actor, who is the hot favourite to take over from Daniel Craig as the next James Bond, takes the lead in new Marvel movie Kraven the Hunter.

Aaron, 34, plays Kraven in the action/sci-fi flick, which is intended to be the sixth film in Sony’s Spider-Man Universe, following the superhero’s arch-nemesis.

While gearing up for the part, Aaron did more than simply read scripts to learn his lines, as he also followed a strict regime to transform his physical appearance.

Speaking on Jimmy Kimmel on Monday night, the star explained the intense health and fitness plans he followed to bulk up and become so chiselled.

‘There was six months of training for this and a lot of special dietary plans. I had a great trainer,’ he began.

‘It was a pretty strict diet; I couldn’t have any of the good stuff – pizza, pasta, zero alcohol for two years while I made this movie.’

‘I did not have a drop of alcohol for two years when I made this,’ he repeated, shocking the audience.

‘After filming was done, it was beautiful. I had a whole pizza all to myself and had a lovely draft pulled beer, and it was ice cold, and it was the best thing I ever tasted.’

Aaron quipped: ‘Soon after, I looked like a balloon as my stomach wasn’t used to it!’

When he rocked up for filming on the late-night chat show, Aaron oozed style and charisma as he donned a leather jacket and pair of tight-fitting trousers.

Flashing a smouldering look to cameras, he threw up a peace sign while sauntering past security.

His insight comes after Aaron described the role as his ‘supervillain peak’, as he weighed 200 pounds thanks to piling on the muscle.

Not only that, but he learned how to run on all fours to become the ultimate convincing hunter who uses animal qualities to successfully capture his prey.

In Kraven the Hunter, Aaron stars alongside Ariana DeBose, Christopher Abbott, Alessandro Nivola, and Fred Hechinger.

The plot follows the titular character’s – real name Sergei Kravinoff – complex relationship with his gangster father (played by Russell Crowe).

This takes him down a path of vengeance and motivates him to become not only the greatest hunter in the world but also one of its most feared.

It will also, as expected, serve as an origin story, set before Kraven’s first meeting with Spider-Man and as he acquires his powers.

Speaking ahead of the film’s release, American filmmaker J.C. Chandor said: ‘Sony probably doesn’t want me to lead with this, but the story is a tragedy.’

He added to Esquire: ‘When the final credits roll on this film, if you’ve been paying attention, you won’t have the feeling that this is all going to end great.’

As for whether we’ll see him in a tux as 007 anytime soon, Aaron has consistently played coy when quizzed on speculation that he’s joining the action franchise.

Most recently, the 28 Years Later star said he wanted to focus on the projects he has in front of him. 

He told Esquire: ‘I have to go by the beat of my own drum. It’s my own path, what feels intuitive to me.

‘I’ve never made a decision based on other people’s perspectives, or their judgments, or their expectations.