James Bond is the ultimate British spy, and it's a role that immediately cements an actor's place in the history books - and for good reason.
The speculation surrounding the successor to the iconic role has been ablaze since Daniel Craig's departure announcement.
Having assumed the role in the mid-2000s with his debut in Casino Royale, Daniel Craig concluded his tenure as Bond in 2021's No Time To Die.
The subsequent conversation naturally gravitated toward speculating about his successor, with various names being tossed into the hat, including the intriguing notion of a female Bond.
That being said, Barbara Broccoli, a producer who has worked on the Bond movies since 1995, has indicated that the title character will always be male.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, the producer said: "I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond.
"I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women."
The conversation then turned to whether the character could be played by an actor who isn't white, to which Broccoli revealed that this is a very real possibility.
"He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race]," she said.
Roger Moore's son has also spoken out about the possibility of Bond being portrayed by a woman, and it would seem that he is also against the idea.
Speaking to the Express, Geoffrey Moore, also known as Jaffa, said: "Well, then it's no longer James Bond. I mean, she could be 006, 008, or 009."
During the latest Bond movie, No Time To Die, Lashana Lynch took over the role of 007 following Bond's retirement and Jaffa believes that this caused "confusion".
"In the last Bond I think this was the confusion," he explained. "That she [Lashana’s character Nomi] was 007 and then said, 'I’ve got to give it back to Bond. It’s his number'."
Jaffa explained that he is open to a female version of Bond but in a standalone series separate from the 007 franchise.
"Maybe there will be a 'From the filmmakers of James Bond comes Jane or Jemima Bond' or whatever," Jaffa said.
One of the favorites to take over the role was Idris Elba, but he appeared to put himself out of the running in February.
"You know, a lot of people talk about another character that begins with 'J' and ends with 'B,' but I’m not going to be that guy. I’m going to be John Luther. That’s who I am," he said.
Hopefully they announce the new Bond soon because it feels like we've been waiting for a lifetime!
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