British actress Gemma Arterton doesn’t agree with the idea of a gender-changing James Bond as she thinks moviegoers would find it ‘scandalous’.
In a recent interview with the British outlet, The timesArterton pointed out that the portrayal of James Bond as a woman is absurd at first glance.
“Isn’t a female James Bond like Mary Poppins played by a man?” she wondered. “They talk about it, but I think people would find it too outrageous.”
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“Quantum of Solace” actress Gemma Arterton denied the idea of a female James Bond in a recent interview. (Antoine Flament / Contributor)
Arterton played British Secret Service agent Strawberry Fields in the 2008 Bond film “Quantum of Solace,” the second in the series starring Daniel Craig. She insisted that Hollywood should respect the character’s legacy and not opt for change.
“Sometimes you just have to respect tradition,” she said.
Reimagining the titular character’s identity has been a hot topic in Hollywood circles in recent years, as producers have considered shaking up the franchise’s formula following Craig’s final turn as a spy in 2021’s ‘No Time to Die’ .
Craig has weighed at that thought, and says he doesn’t think Bond should be gender-swapped. Rather, he thinks a similar franchise with a female lead could be the approach.
“Why would a woman play James Bond when there should be a role that is as good as James Bond, but for a woman?” he asked in a 2021 interview with Radio Times.
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Craig’s fifth and final role as James Bond was in the 2021 film, ‘No Time to Die’. (Karwai Tang)
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has expressed openness to the role of James Bond by an actor of a different race. Idris Elba, a British actor of African descent, has long been a favorite to step into the legendary role, although he recently excluded from doing it.
However, Broccoli has poured cold water on the idea of a female James Bond.
She told Variety in 2020“He can be any color, but he’s a man. I believe we need to create new characters for women – strong female characters. I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. Guess women are much more interesting than that.”
In another interview, Broccoli expressed his openness towards Bond identifying as “non-binary” and using their pronouns.
When asked about that prospect on the 2021 “Girls On Film” podcast, replied Broccoli“Who knows? I mean, I think it’s open. We just have to find the right actor.”
Idris Elba was previously suggested as the next James Bond, but he ruled out the role. (Photo by Taylor Jewell/Invision/AP, file) (AP Newsroom)
Others have even floated the idea of Bond being gay. During a press conference at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, a reporter asked Craig“Do you think there could be a gay James Bond?”
The actor rolled his eyes at the question.
Arterton told The Times that she doesn’t understand why she’s still so associated with the title “Bond Girl,” considering her role in the 2008 film was so small: Her character was killed off just minutes after being introduced.
“I don’t regret doing a Bond film, but I’m perplexed as to why it haunted me. I was only in the film for five minutes,” she said.
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