James Bond Will Always Be Male, And Other Bond Details Revealed By Producers
This year sees the release of the 25th James Bond movie, No Time to Die, which is also going to be the last time we see Daniel Craig as 007. As Bond franchise owners Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson look to the future, they're also opening up a bit about the series as a whole. In a new wide-ranging interview, Broccoli and Wilson discuss the next Bond, who will definitely be male, no matter what, but not necessarily white, and potential spin-offs that never happened.
Male Bond
During a lengthy interview with Variety, Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, the producers of the Bond franchise, dive into the future of the character. Specifically, who might take over the role once Daniel Craig is gone. Many have expressed interest in the potential of a female Bond, but the producers don't see that as an option.
"He can be of any color, but he is male," says Barbara Broccoli. "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." While this might raise a few eyebrows, Broccoli has a point. James Bond's entire character is very much rooted in masculinity – toxic and otherwise.
However, Broccoli and Wilson are also interested in "shaking up the formula" post-Craig, whatever that might mean.
Bond Spin-Offs
Hey, remember Jinx, the Bond Girl played by Halle Berry in the terrible Die Another Day? Well, Broccoli really wanted an entire spin-off for the character. That may seem a little silly now, but keep in mind, at the time Halle Berry was a huge star. She's still a big deal, and her turn in John Wick Chapter 3 confirms she can still kick ass. But Berry was at the height of her fame at the time, so a potential spin-off makes some sense. However, Variety says "MGM got cold feet about the film's $80 million budget," and the spin-off never happened – a decision that "left Broccoli incensed."
The Jinx movie wasn't the only potential Bond spin-off. Someone, somewhere (the Variety story doesn't name names) pitched the idea of a Smallville-like TV series about a teen Bond. But Broccoli and Wilson were completely against Teen Bond, and we were thankfully spared.
No Time to Die opens April 8.