James Bond franchise producer rules out woman taking over as 007

Justine Browning
Updated

Daniel Craig’s impending departure from the 007 franchise and the role of James Bond has led to chatter as to who will portray the iconic character next.

While many fans of the series have used social media to encourage a more inventive approach when it comes to casting future installments, for instance selecting Idris Elba to be at the helm or casting a female Bond, producer Barbara Broccoli is confident there will not be a gender switch.

“Bond is male,” she told The Guardian. “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,” Broccoli added. “Let’s just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters.”

A representative for MGM, which is distributing the next Bond film, had no further comment on Broccoli’s remarks.

Rosamund Pike, who starred as a Bond Girl in 2002’s Die Another Day, expressed similar sentiments earlier this year. “I think the character of James Bond is a man. He is really,” she said in August. “Why not make a kick-ass female agent in her own right?”

Broccoli is the daughter of original Bond producer Albert Broccoli and has presided over the Ian Fleming adaptations since his death.

In August, producers announced the news that Danny Boyle had bowed out of directing the 25th film over “creative differences,” and later revealed Cary Fukunaga had been tapped to replace him.

Broccoli also told The Guardian that while there are “certain things in [Bond’s] DNA that are probably not gonna change,” she does feel the tone of the films has evolved in recent years.

“Look at the way the world has changed,” she said. “And I think Bond has come through and transformed with the times. I’ve tried to do my part, and I think particularly with the Daniel [Craig] films, they’ve become much more current in terms of the way women are viewed.”

The Fukunaga-directed Bond film, with Craig back as 007, is scheduled to arrive on Feb. 14, 2020.