One of the surest ways to attract a storm of Twitter bile is by suggesting the next James Bond should be a woman. Trust us.
But it’s not just middle-aged men with car avatars who are against the potential gender-swap. Long-time Bond executive producer Barbara Broccoli has put her foot down in a new interview with the Guardian, saying that Bond will be retaining his big, swinging 00s for the foreseeable future.
“Bond is male. He’s a male character. He was written as a male and I think he’ll probably stay as a male.”
“And that’s fine,” she said. “We don’t have to turn male characters into women. Let’s just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters.”
Former Bond Girl Rosamund Pike made a similar point earlier this year, saying: “I think the character of James Bond is a man. He is really. Why not make a kick-ass female agent in her own right?”
Broccoli affirmed her belief that societal changes have already been reflected in recent Bond films, and that the series will continue to mature.
“Look at the way the world has changed,” she said. “And I think Bond has come through and transformed with the times.
“I’ve tried to do my part, and I think particularly with the Daniel [Craig] films, they’ve become much more current in terms of the way women are viewed.”
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
