One of the biggest questions plaguing the many fans of James Bond is- who will be the next James Bond? Ever since No Time To Die, and the death of Daniel Craig as the iconic MI6 agent, fans have been consistently wondering who would take up the mantle next. Also, there has been much speculation, debate, and conversation regarding whether it would be the perfect time for someone other than a white Englishman to play the iconic role.
Incidentally, some of the forums have also brought up chatter about Bond finally being played by a woman or a person of color. In this regard, Rege-Jean Page, and Idris Elba have already been a part of this conversation. But while fandoms would constantly debate this, the best person who could shine some light on the matter would be Barbara Broccoli- the producer who has been able to steer the entire franchise since 1995.
Back in 2021, in an interview with Hollywood Reporter, Broccoli stated that she would always see James Bond as a character that was forever played by British men. The producer also argued that rather than shoehorning female actors into specific male roles, there should be a far greater interest in creating great roles for women. She informed the publication, “I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond. I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it is very important to me that we make movies for women about women.”
James Bond Would Always Be Played By A British Actor, According to Producer Of the Bond Franchise
When the producer was asked about the chances of a person of color playing the role of James Bond, Broccoli stated that any actor of any race or ethnicity could play the role- but they would have to be British. She stated, “He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race]. Bond is male. He’s a male character. He was written as a male and I think he’ll probably stay as a male. And that’s fine. We don’t have to turn male characters into women.” Rather than trying to pigeonhole a character, she wanted filmmakers to create meaningful roles that would suit female characters.
Just last year, Broccoli mentioned that the producers of James Bond were still in the primary stages of looking for their next Bond. And she seemed to dampen all the rumors that linked 50-year-old Idris Elba, claiming that it could be too much of a commitment for him- considering his age. She said, “We love Idris. The thing is, the casting decision is going to be a couple of years off. And when we cast Bond, it’s a 10-12 year commitment. So he’s probably thinking, ‘Do I really want that thing?’ Not everybody wants to do that. It’s not just about casting an actor for a film. It’s about a reinvention.”
Michael G. Wilson, a fellow producer, who has been a close associate of Broccoli on all the James Bond movies since GoldenEye, released in 1995, stated, “It was hard enough getting Daniel Craig to do it, and he was in his early 30s at the time!”