Actor Pierce Brosnan, the man who played Britain's most famous MI6 agent James Bond in the 1990s, says he would like to see the fran...
Actor Pierce Brosnan, the man who played Britain's most famous MI6 agent James Bond in the 1990s, says he would like to see the franchise do a gender-swap in the near future with the title character.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, the 66-year-old Brosnan said the time has come for James Bond to become Jane Bond.
"I think we've watched the guys do it for the last 40 years. Get out of the way, guys, and put a woman up there. I think it would be exhilarating, it would be exciting," he said. "I don't think that's going to happen with the Broccolis. I don't think that is going to happen under their watch."
The Broccoli family still owns the screen rights to Ian Flemming's titular character and despite reports of a temporary "007" swap, have given no hints of actually gender-swapping Bond anytime soon.
Despite his desire to see a female Bond, Brosnan had only positive words to share about his time as 007.
"James Bond has a certain significance and a deep pride," he said. "I will be asked about him until my dying days – it just goes with the territory. He's a beloved character. I was honored to play the role and I rejuvenated a franchise that had been dormant.”
The upcoming Bond 25 ("No Time To Die"), which will be Daniel Craig's last outing as the British spy, has been rumored to reflect the #MeToo era; Brosnan said that this is the right choice.
"The #MeToo movement has been relevant and significant and well needed in our society," he said. "So they'll have to address that."
This past July, the Daily Mail quoted an anonymous movie insider who said that "Bond 25" would open with Daniel Craig in retirement, having been replaced by black British actress Lashana Lynch. The source said that a "pivotal scene" at the start of the film has the character M (Ralph Fiennes) calling agent 007 into his office, revealing that 007 is actually Lynch.
"There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says, 'Come in 007,' and in walks Lashana, who is black, beautiful and a woman," the source said. "It's a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond, but he's been replaced as 007."
The movie insider source also confirmed that James Bond will be "sexually attracted to the new female 007" and will be left "baffled" when his seduction tricks do not work on her. The term "Bond girls" has also been removed from popular usage and has now been replaced with "Bond women."
"This is a Bond for the modern era who will appeal to a younger generation while sticking true to what we all expect in a Bond film," the insider said. "There are spectacular chase sequences and fights, and Bond is still Bond but he's having to learn to deal with the world of #MeToo."
Actress Trina Parks, who played the first black Bond girl in "Diamonds Are Forever," told The Mirror, however, that she disagreed with casting Lynch to play the new 007.
"Lashana is a great actress, but I don't really agree with her becoming 007," Trina told the outlet. "It's not about her colour — a black James Bond, sure. But as a man. It's just because Bond, the spy code-named 007, was written by Ian Fleming as a man. Miss Bond doesn't have the same ring to it."
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