Daniel Craig Comes Out Against Casting a Female Lead for James Bond Franchise
Daniel Craig has opinionated against casting a female as the next James Bond, but his foresight of the franchise’s fate misses the benchmark. The iconic movie franchise James Bond has completed a period of almost 6 decades, with legends taking turns to play the much-respected role like Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, and Timothy Dalton. The particular character has been a long-standing symbol of macho and masculinity for more than half a century, but can it be that the tuxedo-clad spy be portrayed by a woman? Keeping aside Craig’s opinion on the subject, it’s high time for the series to make a bold decision.
A very common activity is fan speculation about the next actor to perform James Bond, with Tom Hardy as one of those speculations. Throughout the years there’s been a never-ending debate on the topic, with excitement specifically surrounding the version of Idris Elba as the notoriously quippy spy. Daniel Craig has held the torch for continuously 15 years after his debut in Casino Royale, but with his last appearance in No Time to Die, the discussion of the future of Bond has made its comeback to the forefront. This was usually visible in the case of Doctor Who, a British movie icon, attention has shifted to the possibility of a female lead. However controversial the idea may be, Daniel Craig has already made his opinion clear that Bond should be continued by a man. So, even if James Bond himself is debating for the next performer to be a male in the lead, why should the next Bond be a woman?
The Reason Being
As a Lady James Bond may have seemed a bit radical in the past, women-led action movies are now box-office moneymakers. Either it’s Scarlett Johansson in Marvel’s Black Widow or Charlize Theron in The Old Guard, audiences have shown much love in accepting a female lead in an action movie. At least, the female James Bond won’t have reasons to pull her punches. The Bond franchise itself has portrayed increasingly strong female performances. Whether it’s Naomie Harris’s versatile portrayal of Eve Moneypenny starring in Skyfall or the latest performance by Lashana Lynch in No Time to Die, a female lead in a Bond film is no longer assigned roles little more than just scenery. All in all, there’s just no such reason to doubt that a female could pull off the heart-wrenching drama required for Bond.
