In a just-posted discussion with Ain’t It Cool’s Mr. Beaks, Kick-Ass director Matthew Vaughn has shared an observation about Aaron Johnson‘s performance as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy, which Vaughn has seen.

Kristin Scott Thomas as Aunt Mimi and Aaron Johnson as John Lennon in Nowhere Boy.

Vaughn: I nearly postponed the movie for a year because I couldn’t find Dave Lizewski [the lead character in Kick-Ass]. I just couldn’t find Kick-Ass. It was a Friday morning, and I said to the guys, ‘We’re going back to London tonight, and we’re postponing the movie until we figure out who’s playing Dave.’ Then Johnson came in, who, mark my words, is going to be a huge movie star.

“I just saw Nowhere Boy, where he plays John Lennon, and it is a ten-out-of-ten performance. The whole film is fantastic, but he is phenomenal in it. I actually feel like a juvenile moron for what I did to that kid compared to what he does in that film.

Beaks: “What sort of qualities does he bring to the character?

Vaughn: “He has that charisma where you believe every word he says. He can also stand in front of the camera and say nothing, but you still want to watch him. He’s fun. The actor I think he’ll become is Robert Downey, Jr. He’s very similar to him.”

Nowhere Boy is slated for a 2010 release. Beaks remarks that “if Johnson is as good as Vaughn says, I wonder if the Weinstein Co. will consider moving this film into 2009 for a run at Best Actor (especially if Nine turns out to be troublesome).”