Daniel Craig’s retirement as 007 agent James Bond leaves many questions about the future of the film franchise. At the top of that list is whether studios might deviate from the long-standing tradition of having white men play the iconic role and expand the opportunity to women and actors of color.
At the World Premiere of No Time To Die in London, which marks Craig’s last turn in the British series, we spoke with stars on the red carpet about the direction they hope to see the next films take. Writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge shared she’s particularly looking forward to more progressive iterations of the story down the line.
“I’m excited about it because there’s so much conversation around the misogyny attached to James Bond,” she said. “It means it can be a part of the conversation in a bigger way rather than just erasing the idea of it. Rather than doing that, it’s really important to actually keep it discussed in the work and I think James Bond is a really good place to do that because of his history.”
For years, there have been discussions around whether a Black actor might be chosen to fill Bond’s shoes, with Idris Elba and, as of late, Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page‘s names being tossed around heavily. But with Lashana Lynch making history as the first Black 00 agent, the natural question is whether a Black actress actress might actually be the future face of the franchise.
When asked, Lynch admitted she’s not ready to see Craig leave the movie saga, let alone think about his replacement. But, putting her trust in MGM studios, she said, “I really don’t mind [who’s cast in the role] as long as it’s the best person to do the job.”
Watch the red carpet footage in the video above. No Time To Die is currently showing in theaters in the U.S.