The Real Reason Daniel Craig Doesn't Believe A Woman Should Be James Bond
Lashana Lynch made headlines when it was announced the Black actor would play a secret agent in the upcoming "James Bond" movie, "No Time To Die." The announcement made waves not just because Lynch was set to become the first female Black MI6 agent in the franchise but also because of incessant rumors that she would go on to become the next James Bond, since Daniel Craig announced in November 2019 he was retiring from the role after the upcoming iteration, per Entertainment Weekly. Misleading headlines calling her the first Black female James Bond abounded in 2019, as Harper's Bazaar noted.
While she won't play the character of James Bond, she could inherit his iconic secret agent number after Craig leaves the MI6, the Daily Mail explained. And that was reason enough to cause backlash and lead to online harassment of Lynch. To protect herself from the attacks, the London-born actor deleted her social media accounts in 2020, per Insider. "[I]f it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse. I just have to remind myself that the conversation is happening and that I'm a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary," Lynch told Harper's Bazaar.
Discussion regarding race and gender and the title of James Bond continues, with Craig himself sharing his thoughts. Here's why he's against a female James Bond.
Daniel Craig thinks James Bond could be Black but that the part wasn't meant for a woman
Daniel Craig became the sixth actor to bring James Bond to life in 2006 with "Casino Royale." His stepping down from the post opens up the path for another actor to write his name in the franchise's history. Or is it time for someone to write her name? According to Craig, the character should always be portrayed by a male actor, as he told Radio Times magazine in September. "The answer to that is very simple. There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?" Craig said.
James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli echoed Craig's opinion in a 2020 interview with Variety. "He can be of any color, but he is male. I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters. I'm not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that," she said.
Lashana Lynch herself told The Guardian that she has no interest in being James Bond, though she believes different. "We are in a place in time where the industry is not just giving audiences what it thinks the audience wants ... With Bond, it could be a man or woman," she said.