Intelligence chiefs hope next James Bond will be either black or female as it would boost diversity within MI6, expert says
- Idris Elba has repeatedly ruled out succeeding Daniel Craig
Intelligence chiefs hope the next James Bond will be either black or female as it would boost diversity within MI6, an expert has claimed.
Ian Fleming’s suave creation has been played by Roger Moore, Sean Connery and more recently Daniel Craig since Dr. No hit the big screen in 1962.
The philandering spy’s glamorous lifestyle boosted recruitment to MI6, says John Taylor, and was “only good” for Britain’s secret intelligence services.
Mr Taylor, who previously worked for the British government in the Soviet Union before moving into training intelligence and security services across the world, said the one thing intelligence chiefs would like to change, is whether Bond is black or female.
Idris Elba has long been touted as the favorite to replace Craig, but he has repeatedly ruled himself out, recently saying racist abuse put him off playing the role, while Emily in Paris actor Lucien Laviscount, would also be monitored by managers.
Daniel Craig starred in five episodes as James Bond, with his replacement yet to be announced.
Luther star Idris Elba has long been touted as the favorite to succeed Bond, but has repeatedly ruled himself out and recently said racist backlash had put him off.
Speaking at the Cheltenham Literature Festival, Mr Taylor, a fellow of King’s College London, said Bond had been MI6’s “greatest recruiting aid”, reported The temperature.
“The one thing that the bosses, I think, would like to change, going back to an earlier conversation, and it could still happen, is that James Bond should be a black man, or a woman, or a black woman, and you know (that) would also encourage those kinds of people, for diversity reasons, to want to join,” he said.
“James Bond has been nothing but good.”
Lashana Lynch made history by becoming the first black woman to play a double-O agent in the latest Bond film, No Time To Die.
She opened up about her breakthrough role, the inspiration behind her character Nomi, and how her family inspired her in the October/November 2021 issue of Rolling Stone.
She said it was “imperative to bring the conversation of the strong black woman into everything.”
While Tom Hanks earlier this year backed Elba to take over as Martini’s amateur agent of the iconic franchise.
“James Bond has the right to kill. I would issue this license to Idris Elba purely on the basis of the work I have seen him do,” he told BBC News.
The Luther star, 51, however, has “no interest” in taking up the mantle, telling the Radio Times in March: “My audition for Bond? Oh my God no ! I’ve been saying for years, no! »
Lashan Lynch (pictured) made history by becoming the first black woman to play a double-O agent in the latest Bond film, No Time To Die.
Lucien Laviscount has already been tipped to become the new 007, replacing Craig. Pictured: The Emily in Paris actor attends the Vanity Fair Oscars party in Beverly Hills, California in March 2022.
Speaking out: John Boyega says there will never be a black James Bond, despite continued calls for Idris Elba to take on the role after Craig leaves
While two months later The Guardian reported that the racist backlash made the idea of him being Bond’s ass “disgusting and off-putting”.
Star Wars star John Boyega also waded into the debate, saying he didn’t believe Bond would ever be played by a black actor.
Asked if she would ever consider playing Bond, he told the Happy Confused Sad podcast in September last year: “I’m sorry but I’m black – I don’t know how. When you’re black, I don’t know what it’s like.
“As a white man, you grew up in a white man’s society and that’s normal. It’s normal for you. Even the mention of a black Bond feels like, “Oh, okay.”
