James Bond has faced villains with world-ending weapons and cars that vanish at the push of a button. But the spy’s biggest battle might just be happening off-screen. Whether cinema’s most famous tuxedo should one day belong to a woman or not.
And now, two Hollywood personalities have just delivered their verdict. It’s a debate that has followed Bond for years. And now, the latest speculation is, could the next 007 be a female?
Helen Mirren’s Surprising Opinion On Female Bond
Over the years, people have suggested that the future Bond could be a woman. It sounds bold and different. But one of Britain’s most respected actresses and self-proclaimed feminists has said she doesn’t think it would work. Dame Helen Mirren, who has always spoken strongly about women’s rights, said in a new interview with Saga Magazine that James Bond has to stay male.
“You can’t have a woman,” she explained. “It just doesn’t work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.” But seeing it coming from someone who once called the Bond franchise “born out of profound sexism,” was a bit surprising, though.
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Helen isn’t the only one who feels that way. Pierce Brosnan, who played Bond in four films from ‘GoldenEye‘ to ‘Die Another Day,’ also says 007 should remain a man. He admitted being excited to see where the series goes next, saying the next actor could bring “a whole new exuberance and life to the character.” But he agreed with Mirren that the role itself shouldn’t change gender.
The Gender Swap Isn’t Appealing To James Bond Franchise Actors
Helen and Pierce aren’t the first to push back on the idea. Earlier this year, Halle Berry, who starred opposite Brosnan in ‘Die Another Day,’ said she wasn’t sure about it either. “It’s nice to say, ‘Oh, she should be a woman,’” Berry explained at the Cannes Film Festival. “But I don’t really know if I think that’s the right thing to do.”
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That doesn’t mean women can’t shine in the Bond universe. Lashana Lynch already played a fellow 007 agent in ‘No Time to Die.’ And many fans think the better option is creating new female spy characters, rather than changing Bond’s core identity.
These comments come at a big moment for the Bond franchise, as earlier this year, Amazon got the creative control of the franchise for a huge $1 billion (£760 million). Since then, the studio has promised to bring a “fresh take” while keeping Bond’s “legacy” alive. Now Amazon faces the biggest challenge yet: making Bond feel modern without losing what makes the character iconic. Reinvention is expected. Replacement? Not so much.
