British intelligence expert John Taylor explains why the next James Bond actor should be either Black or female, or both. Released in theaters in October 2021, No Time to Die marked Daniel Craig’s departure from the role of the iconic British agent after five films. Since his swan song, the 007 franchise producers have been slowly and quietly conducting the search for the next Bond actor, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, and Richard Madden emerging as the betting favorites.
Talking to The Telegraph, Taylor explained why he thinks the next James Bond actor should be Black or female. The British intelligence expert, who trains operatives around the world after a 30-year career in the Foreign Office, says that a Black or female James Bond would result in increased diversity in recruitment for the intelligence agencies. Read his full comments below:
[Bond is the] biggest recruitment aid. The only thing chiefs, I think, would want to change, going back to an earlier conversation, and it may happen yet, is that James Bond should be a black man, or a woman, or a black woman, and you know [it] would make those sort of people also, for diversity, want to join. James Bond has been nothing but good.
Why The Next James Bond Probably Won’t Be Female
Though a female James Bond would likely boost MI6 diversity and improve operational capabilities, as Taylor argues, it probably won’t come to fruition. Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli doesn’t believe a female should play Bond, and she’s repeatedly shot down the prospect of a woman playing the historically male role. In one interview, Broccoli definitively stated, “I don’t think a woman should play James Bond.” Instead, she believes the franchise should have strong female characters in supporting roles.
While Broccoli doesn’t believe a woman should play Bond, the producer thinks the character could be any ethnicity, as long as the actor is British. Idris Elba is one Black actor who is a betting favorite to play Bond, though he has opened up about “disgusting” racism which has turned him off from playing the role. Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page, an English actor of Zimbabwean descent, is another front-runner to be the next James Bond. As the search continues, the door remains open for a more inclusive portrayal of the iconic character’s ethnicity.
Source: The Telegraph
