No Time to Die will mark Daniel Craig's final appearance as James Bond, and speculation about who the next 007 will be has been running rampant since before cameras even started rolling on that movie. Many fans would like to see an actor of colour having their martinis shaken and not stirred, but what about speculation that a woman could take over the role?
During an interview with
Variety, longtime Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson confirmed that they haven't begun casting Craig's replacement yet, but it
won't be a woman.
"He can be of any color, but he is male," Broccoli explained. "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."
It's a valid point and while we won't be seeing "Jane Bond" anytime soon, Wilson made it clear that the franchise could indeed include a non-white Bond.
"You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place."
The ship has seemingly sailed on Idris Elba taking over from Craig, but it's certainly exciting to see where things could go next for the long-running franchise.
You can check out a gallery of hi-res screenshots from the first
No Time to Die trailer by clicking
HERE and stay tuned for further updates on the next 007 as and when they find their way online.