Ever since Daniel Craig announced that he would be hanging up his tuxedo and handing in his license to kill, speculation has been rife over who will play the next James Bond.
One popular theory is that the next incarnation of the super spy will shake the franchise up by turning him into a woman.
However, Bond girl Ana De Armas - who starred alongside Craig in his last outing as the secret agent, No Time To Die - has weighed in on the debate, saying that she doesn't think a female 007 is what the series needs.
In a recent interview with The Sun, De Armas said there was "no need" to make the iconic character female.
"There’s no need for a female Bond," she said, adding: "There shouldn’t be any need to steal someone else’s character, you know, to take over. This is a novel, and it leads into this James Bond world and this fantasy of that universe where he’s at."
The Knives Out star went on to say that she'd still like to see more great roles for women in the Bond movies - even if the title character continues to be played by a man.
"What I would like is that the female roles in the Bond films, even though Bond will continue to be a man, are brought to life in a different way. That they’re given a more substantial part and recognition. That’s what I think is more interesting than flipping things," she said.
Meanwhile, De Armas isn't the only Bond star to say that the spy shouldn't be played by a woman.
Craig gave a similar response in an interview with Radio Times when he said: "There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color."
He added: "Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"
While Craig and De Armas may have dropped hints, plans for the next installment in the Bond franchise are still very much under wraps, with no major clue as to who will take on the role next.
