Jane Bond? Not so fast! James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli revealed that the color of the lead’s skin doesn’t matter for the spy franchise, but when it comes to gender, a woman will never become 007.
“He can be of any color, but he is male,” Broccoli, 59, told Variety in an interview released on Wednesday, January 15.
Broccoli, who oversees the franchise with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, explained that the vision for women in the franchise is expanding but not all the way to the top.
“I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters,” she told the publication. “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.”
Broccoli, whose father was producer Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, already switched things up after Pierce Brosnan’s four-film run as the coveted bad boy spy ended with 2002’s Die Another Day.
The duo felt they “needed a more realistic Bond” and ultimately decided to cast Daniel Craig, who has played James Bond for four films and is set to reprise his role in 2020’s No Time to Die.
“He brought flesh and blood to the character,” she explained. “Bond in the novel is a silhouette. Daniel has given him depth and an inner life. We were looking for a 21st-century hero, and that’s what he delivered. He bleeds; he cries; he’s very contemporary.”
When it comes to who will be Bond next, the producer is not convinced that Craig is totally done — despite him revealing his plans to retire after the next movie.
“I’m in total denial,” she told Variety. “I’ve accepted what Daniel has said, but I’m still in denial. It’s too traumatic for me.”
Over the years, the MI6 agent has been played by Craig, 51, Brosnan, 66, Sean Connery, David Niven, George Lazeby, Roger Moore and Timothy Dalton.
Actors including Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, James Norton and more have been rumored to be in line for the iconic role, but no one has been announced at this time.
