MGMWith Daniel Craig hanging up his spy gear after the release of No Time to Die, one question has been whirling round everyone’s mind.
Who will replace Daniel Craig as 007? Of course, that question brings with it a whole host of other questions, namely: Will the legendary spy be a man? A woman? A black actor? A white actor?
While we still don’t have the answers to any of those questions, longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has given us some insight into the future casting, saying 007 ‘can be of any colour, but he is male’.
MGMBroccoli and fellow Bond producer Michael G. Wilson told Variety the search for the next Bond is yet to begin as their priorities remain focused on finishing No Time to Die – despite rumours that actors like Idris Elba and Richard Madden are being lined up to take over as 007.
And while it’s currently unclear who will fill Bond’s shoes, one thing the producers do know for sure is the next 007 will not be a woman.
Broccoli explained:
He can be of any colour, but he is male. I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters. I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that.
Wilson backed up her comments about having a person of colour play Bond, saying: ‘You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place.’
PA ImagesBroccoli has long said Bond should not be a woman, having previously told The Guardian: ‘Bond is male. He’s a male character. He was written as a male and I think he’ll probably stay as a male.’
She continued:
And that’s fine. We don’t have to turn male characters into women. Let’s just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters.
The producer’s comments come as the Oscars yet again come under fire for their lack of diversity, with no women nominated in the category for Best Director – sparking outcries of sexism and patriarchal oppression.
Greta Gerwig missed out on being nominated for directing Little Women, meaning her nomination for Lady Bird in 2018 was the only one for a female director in the last 10 years.
PA ImagesIn the awards’ 92-year history, only five women have been nominated as best director, with only one winner: Kathryn Bigelow for The Hurt Locker in 2010.
Not only that, but the nominations featured just one actor of colour. Cynthia Erivo received a Best Actress nomination for Harriet, but several other prominent actors of colour were overlooked, including Awkwafina and Zhao Shuzhen for The Farewell, Eddie Murphy for Dolemite Is My Name, and Lupita Nyong’o for Us.
It would therefore be a breath of fresh air if someone other than the stereotypical ‘Bond’ was cast in the next 007 film, and even better if these kinds of conversation led to more diverse roles being filled in Hollywood.
No Time to Die is set to hit cinemas on April 8.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).