The search for the next James Bond continues, as Amazon MGM has reportedly been looking high and low for another actor to don that sacred tuxedo. Despite confirmation that casting is underway, there’s been no indication as to which exact stars are being eyed for the role. Jacob Elordi, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and others have been linked to the role for Bond 26 and, all the while, there’s been a debate over whether a woman should play the MI6 agent. Hannah Waddingham recently weighed in on that and made a good point.
Hannah Waddingham’s Take On A Female James Bond Makes Sense
Waddingham remains booked and busy, and she’s currently looking towards the release of her new action series, Ride or Die, which is (coincidentally) going to be streamable with a Prime Video subscription. The Emmy-winning actress is a jack of all trades, whose work spans various genres and mediums. So it probably shouldn’t have been a surprise that amid a special screening of her new show, Waddingham was asked if he would consider playing 007. She had an emphatic response that made her position quite clear:
No! God no! No, this is my version of 007, a woman doesn’t need to play James Bond, we’ve got other things to do.
So anyone who happened to be fancasting the Ted Lasso star for the role of Commander Bond should probably put all that to rest. What I’m particularly focused on, though, is her comment about her and her fellow actresses having “other things to do.” While Waddingham obviously can’t speak for the rest of the ladies in Hollywood, I think she’s pointing to the notion of female creatives working on original characters as opposed to taking over gigs long held by men.
Don’t get me wrong, gender-bending roles can be beneficial. That’s evident even in the James Bond franchise, as Judi Dench took over the role of M after a string of male predecessors. However, I like the notion of women being able to establish fresh franchises filled with multidimensional characters and not have to work within certain parameters of established IPs. There are other variables to consider when it comes to original ideas like that, though.
It can certainly be an uphill battle for female writers, directors and producers as well as actresses to get such projects made. Not only that, but audiences are also quite particular about what they watch in theaters, whether a film is led by a woman or man. Still, the optimist in me would hope that such movies and TV shows involving women can be made.
What Have Others Said About James Bond Being Played By A Woman
Like Waddingham, others have been firm when it comes to their positions on Bond becoming a female character. Former Bond girl Gemma Arterton shared her take on the subject, and the Quantum of Solace alum questioned whether a lady playing Bond would be like a man playing Mary Poppins. Atherton also noted that some may find that kind of casting “outrageous” and that “sometimes you just have to respect the tradition.” The son of late Bond actor Roger Moore, Geoffrey, was a bit more blunt. In Moore’s estimation, if a woman takes over, than the role is simply no longer Bond, though he expressed support for a new character taking on a new operative designation that wasn’t 007.
The most recent actor to play the iconic secret agent, Daniel Craig, offered up his thoughts on the debate as well, and his thoughts align with mine. Craig argued that there should be better parts for women as well as actors of color. That’s easier said than done, of course, but I agree with his take that a woman should have an original role just as good as Bond.
Still, even if a woman doesn’t play Bond, there’s still the question of who’s going to play the character when we see him on the big screen again. It’s certainly possible that Elordi, Callum Turner or other hopefuls could get their shot to play the role, but we’ll just have to wait and see. I really don’t mind the idea of a female Bond, though I do hope Hannah Waddingham and other talented leading ladies might find themselves in the position to land roles that could possibly rival 007.