Carl Roberts 
007 Producer Barbara Broccoli confirms James Bond will remain male.
The rumours keep persisting and keep being either denied or knocked back but finally James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has finally put the rumours of the character being played by a female to bed once and for all. In a statement, Broccoli has stated that Ian Fleming’s iconic character will continue to be male, no matter what. While the producer has admitted the character could be played by an actor of any colour, he will always be played by a man. In the interview, Broccoli is quoted as saying:
“He can be of any colour, but he is male. I believe we should be creating new characters for women-strong female characters. 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”
Now, please don’t get me wrong. I’m all for equality and believe we need more strong female characters in the movies instead of the classic ‘Damsel in distress’ that has always seemed favoured by Hollywood through the years but in this instance, I believe that Barbara Broccoli is 100% right. The character has been and always shall be a man. He was written that way and in my opinion, and it is only MY opinion, should always be male. There’s certainly room for another secret agent action character to be played by a woman in a continuing franchise, look at Angelina Jolie in ‘Salt‘. That could have been so much more if they had continued on with the saga. Jennifer Lawrence too could easily start a franchise as a female U.S secret service agent. Zoe Saldana would make a fantastic action-adventure character in the same mould as Bond.
There are so many ways that a female-led franchise could work as long as the writer’s nail the quality and content to perfection. Patty Jenkins comes to mind in considering this. She is at the top of her game and deserves the success she’s got. Elizabeth Banks too could easily fit into the genre. There are so many possibilities if only someone would come up with a decent concept, one that would sell tickets and start a female-led franchise to rival 007.
Eva Green herself said it. And she should know, she was in Daniel Craig‘s first Bond adventure, ‘Casino Royale‘ back in 2006. She has stated:
“I’m for women, but I really think James Bond should remain a man. It doesn’t make sense for him to be a woman. Women can play different types of characters, be in action movies, and be superheroes, but James Bond should always be a man and not be Jane Bond. There is history with the character that should continue. He should be played by a man.”
As it is, I’m happy that Barbara Broccoli has confirmed that Bond will continue to be and always will be a male character. As for who could play him next, I’m open to ideas. Would I be annoyed to see the character played by an actor of colour? Absolutely not. That’s the beauty of 007. He can be of any colour, just as long as the person playing him is believable and enjoyable in the role. Idris Elba has been mentioned. He would be fantastic as Bond, I really believe that. But we will have to wait and see who takes up the mantle after Daniel Craig has stepped down.
But James Bond will return.
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Carl Roberts is a Senior Staff Writer and Books and Literature Correspondent for Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter @CarlRoberts2 where he uses the force frequently!
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Source: Variety
Carl Roberts is the News Editor for The Future of the Force. Aside from being our horror genre aficionado, he is also passionate about Star Wars, Marvel, DC, and the Indiana Jones movies. Follow him on Twitter where he uses the force frequently!
