The long-awaited spy movie, No Time to Die, will be Daniel Craig’s last outing as the iconic character James Bond, and many movie-goers have been wondering who will replace him as agent 007 going forward. In a recent interview with the Radio Times, the star shared his thoughts on the future casting for the character – speaking out about the prospect of a female James Bond or an actor of colour taking up the part.
James Bond is an iconic character that was created in the ‘50s by the British writer Ian Fleming. Since his big-screen debut in 1962, he also hasn’t evolved massively and, to this date, has been portrayed exclusively by straight, white men. As we move into 2021, many action movie fans have wondered if it is time to shake things up in the franchise. Perhaps it is time to introduce an entirely new iteration of Bond, one that is more inclusive?
However, when asked if he supported a more diverse casting of the character, Craig said: “ The answer to that is very simple. There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”
Long-time James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli shared Craig’s sentiments publicly on Good Morning Britain back in 2019. “We have to make movies about women and women’s stories, but we have to create female characters,” She explained. “And not just for a gimmick, turn a male character into a woman.”
While both Craig and Broccoli bring up valid points, it should be noted that the hypothetical roles that both are referring to are still lacking in funding and quantity. It is also worth bringing up that, realistically, any new roles won’t have the same acclaim, reach or impact as a franchise that has been around for decades like James Bond. Representation is an ongoing issue in Hollywood, and the discussions surrounding the next James Bond casting proves that.
Currently, we don’t know who will be taking over Bond’s reins from Craig. Fans have been rooting for Henry Cavil, Idris Elba, Regé-Jean Page, James Norton, and Tom Hardy as potential replacements. However, nothing has been confirmed just yet. Stay tuned for updates.
No Time to Die is scheduled to release in the UK on September 30, and on October 8 in the USA.