Bond's number is up: black female actor 'is the new 007'

Daniel Craig retains title role but 25th instalment in the franchise reveals codename has been reassigned to British actor Lashana Lynch

While Daniel Craig is set to reprise his role as James Bond in the next film, the franchise is set for a shake-up, with reports claiming that black British actor Lashana Lynch has been cast as 007 – taking over Bond’s secret agent number after his character leaves M16.

The Mail has quoted from an anonymous “movie insider”, who says that the 25th film opens with Bond (Craig), retired in Jamaica, being called back to action to fight a new villain.

“There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says, “Come in 007”, and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman,” the source said. “It’s a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he’s been replaced as 007.”

Originally from West London, Lynch, 31, made her film debut in 2011’s Fast Girls, but her breakthrough role came earlier this year, as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel.

The news of her being given Bond’s famous code name has been widely praised on social media, coming weeks after US singer Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel in Disney’s live action remake of the Little Mermaid.


https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/jul/15/lashana-lynch-new-007-james-bond-daniel-craig

No doubt there will be a male character called "Johnson Galore".

I think they are following the lead of Lucas, who created a female Jedi.

Original Quill wrote:I think they are following the lead of Lucas, who created a female Jedi.

Was she called Luke Skywalker?

Was Sean Connery's portrayal, or David Niven, or George Lazenby, or Roger Moore, or Timothy Dalton, or Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig always the same? Did they all look the same. Did they all have the same height?

Variations in scripts, locations and actors, and yes, even gender, happen. The title of this thread concerns not the name of Bond, but the switch in 007 to a female role. The analogy is to gender.

C'mon Redneck, use a little logic in your thinking.

I think they are getting on the Dr Who bandwagon, the present (and only) female Dr  was a controversial choice but she has been a big success.

I dont care what colour Bond is (I thought Iris Elba would have made a great Bond)  but he should be British, or at least speak with a believable Brit accent,  and he should be MALE, because that is the way the character was written, and Bond is loosely based on the Ian Flemings character of him.

Should Pollyanna or Alice in Wonderland be male if a remake is ever made?

Why does Bond have to be handsome or beautiful?

Raggamuffin wrote:Why does Bond have to be handsome or beautiful?

Daniel Craig is craggy not handsome, he is charismatic though.

Raggamuffin wrote:Why does Bond have to be handsome or beautiful?

In fact, if you read Ian Fleming's books, Bond was repeatedly described as having a somewhat "cruel" face. I believe Connery was chosen because he could turn a good scowl.

Original Quill wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Why does Bond have to be handsome or beautiful?

In fact, if you read Ian Fleming's books, Bond was repeatedly described as having a somewhat "cruel" face.  I believe Connery was chosen because he could turn a good scowl.

And he was a known wife beater....the role was made for him really.

Syl wrote:I think they are getting on the Dr Who bandwagon, the present (and only) female Dr  was a controversial choice but she has been a big success.

I dont care what colour Bond is (I thought Iris Elba would have made a great Bond)  but he should be British, or at least speak with a believable Brit accent,  and he should be MALE, because that is the way the character was written, and Bond is loosely based on the Ian Flemings character of him.

Should Pollyanna or Alice in Wonderland be male if a remake is ever made?

Bu they are not creating a new James Bond, but officially retiring him and handing over his 007 status to someone else. Which makes sense and then does nothing to alter the character of James Bond. So that is simple moving with the times.

Personally I think this is being pushed by the woke brigade. Will wait and watch to see if an how it is any good

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

In fact, if you read Ian Fleming's books, Bond was repeatedly described as having a somewhat "cruel" face.  I believe Connery was chosen because he could turn a good scowl.

And he was a known wife beater....the role was made for him really.

Bond was? He wasn't even married!

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:

And he was a known wife beater....the role was made for him really.

  Bond was?  He wasn't even married!  

He was in one of the films

phildidge wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

  Bond was?  He wasn't even married!  

He was in one of the films

Yes he was married briefly in book form, in The Spy Who Loved Me (1962) and On her Majesty's Secret Service (1963), it started out with their honeymoon driving somewhere in France.  I believe he got married in the early one, and honeymooning in the second.  Anyway, she died in an automobile crash. There were no domestic scenes to the marriage.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:

And he was a known wife beater....the role was made for him really.

  Bond was?  He wasn't even married!  

You mentioned Connery...he was a wife beater....keep up Quill.

Bond, played by George Lazenby married in OHMSS (the only time he played James Bond) ....the lady he married was played by Diana Rigg, she was shot on her wedding day I think, if my memory serves me well.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

  Bond was?  He wasn't even married!  

You mentioned Connery...he was a wife beater....keep up Quill.

Just fookin' wi' jah. Are you sure, in Scotland, it wasn't for chasing sheep?

Does Connery have a record?

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:

You mentioned Connery...he was a wife beater....keep up Quill.

Just fookin' wi' jah.  Are you sure, in Scotland, it wasn't for chasing sheep?

Does Connery have a record?

I doubt it, but his ex wives have talked about it, and he has even said himself that a woman sometimes deserves a slap.

Not all wife beaters have records do they?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzXkbJwrN38

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

Just fookin' wi' jah.  Are you sure, in Scotland, it wasn't for chasing sheep?

Does Connery have a record?

I doubt it, but his ex wives have talked about it, and he has even said himself that a woman sometimes deserves a slap.

Not all wife beaters have records do they?

No, but records give details. Connery is a mixed bag...Scottish macho, but a great actor.

BTW, did you see my castle in Entrapment, with Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones? The Chief and Connery are friends, and the producers were allowed to use it for the film.

pfffft...female Dr Who?....women CANT be time lords, since they would never be able to go back in time, since , as is well known...women just CANT reverse......................anything.

Original Quill wrote:Was Sean Connery's portrayal, or David Niven, or George Lazenby, or Roger Moore, or Timothy Dalton, or Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig always the same?  Did they all look the same.  Did they all have the same height?

Variations in scripts, locations and actors, and yes, even gender, happen.  The title of this thread concerns not the name of Bond, but the switch in 007 to a female role.  The analogy is to gender.

C'mon Redneck, use a little logic in your thinking.

I guess you could play Pussy Galore.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:

I doubt it, but his ex wives have talked about it, and he has even said himself that a woman sometimes deserves a slap.

Not all wife beaters have records do they?

No, but records give details.  Connery is a mixed bag...Scottish macho, but a great actor.

BTW, did you see my castle in Entrapment, with Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones?  The Chief and Connery are friends, and the producers were allowed to use it for the film.

No sorry, I didn't notice YOUR castle Quill.
My only memories of that film was how flexible CZJ was in some scenes and how old Connery was to be paired with such a young glamorous actress.

Syl wrote:

Original Quill wrote:

No, but records give details.  Connery is a mixed bag...Scottish macho, but a great actor.

BTW, did you see my castle in Entrapment, with Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones?  The Chief and Connery are friends, and the producers were allowed to use it for the film.

No sorry, I didn't notice YOUR castle Quill.
My only memories of that film was how flexible CZJ was in some scenes and how old Connery was  to be paired with such a young glamorous actress.

C'mon, it was the castle that they trained in.  Covered the middle third of the movie.  Helicopter shot.  Workout with crawling under lasers...shot.  This shot from the castle's ramparts:



Here's a shot from inside the drawing room:



Mull sheep, showing off their stuff:



You have to try if you miss it.

I do remember the scenes where he had CZJ limboing under and around the lazer beams. Quill.
To be honest though, it wasn't a very memorable film  was it?

Syl wrote:I do remember the scenes where he had CZJ limboing under and around the lazer beams. Quill.
To be honest though, it wasn't a very memorable film  was it?

I know. It's only memorable to me becuz my castle was in it.

Original Quill wrote:

Syl wrote:I do remember the scenes where he had CZJ limboing under and around the lazer beams. Quill.
To be honest though, it wasn't a very memorable film  was it?

I know.  It's only memorable to me becuz my castle was in it.

Understandable.

Not double 0 7... this is double 0 dear...!

Bond films suck.

eddie wrote:Bond films suck.

I like the ones Daniel Craig starred in, but the others are definitely cheesy.

Regarding some of the other comments here, this move sounds like a logical direction to take the franchise in, as they must be running out of original material. And seeing as I'm sure MI6 is an equal opportunity employer, I see no reason for them not to have a black female agent.

It's not PC or woke to have movies that reflect the real world, rather than featuring the same white male heroes we've been served up for decades. It's just ... real.

Well it will definitely attract a more black audience, I guess. Whether or not I like Bond films I don’t care who plays the lead...black, Asian, female, reptilian.

James Bond was based on a Scottish wartime Royal Navy Commander (the equivalent of an army Lt.Col. or an RAF Wing Commander) with whom author Ian Flemming served in Naval Intelligence in WW2.

This casting is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.

Very silly.

Now, I know that this will immediately attract the wrath of the trendy Left and assorted feminazis...but what the hell, I'm old enough and curmudgeonly enough to respond in the immortal words: Piss off.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:James Bond was based on a Scottish wartime Royal Navy Commander (the equivalent of an army Lt.Col. or an RAF Wing Commander) with whom author Ian Flemming served in Naval Intelligence in WW2.

This casting  is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.

Very silly.

Now, I know that this will immediately attract the wrath of the trendy Left and assorted feminazis...but what the hell, I'm old enough and curmudgeonly enough to respond in the immortal words: Piss off.

“This casting  is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.”

You may well be right Fred, but is it such a bad thing?

Fred Moletrousers wrote:James Bond was based on a Scottish wartime Royal Navy Commander (the equivalent of an army Lt.Col. or an RAF Wing Commander) with whom author Ian Flemming served in Naval Intelligence in WW2.

This casting  is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.

Very silly.

Now, I know that this will immediately attract the wrath of the trendy Left and assorted feminazis...but what the hell, I'm old enough and curmudgeonly enough to respond in the immortal words: Piss off.

But this new 007 seems to be NOT James Bond, but a new character, so why does it matter who the character of James Bond was based upon?

And I have to wonder why people who cry PC and tokenism seem to be so upset that a hero won't be portrayed by a white man -- sorry!

But it does seem to me that anybody can be a hero, and it doesn't make sense to expect the fictional depictions of them to all look the same.

Fred Moletrousers wrote:James Bond was based on a Scottish wartime Royal Navy Commander (the equivalent of an army Lt.Col. or an RAF Wing Commander) with whom author Ian Flemming served in Naval Intelligence in WW2.

This casting  is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.

Very silly.

Now, I know that this will immediately attract the wrath of the trendy Left and assorted feminazis...but what the hell, I'm old enough and curmudgeonly enough to respond in the immortal words: Piss off.

Fred, she is not going to play James Bond, as they are retiring Bond in the film and handing over his 007 status. I agree its being done for woekness, but she is simple going to be the new 007. Not the new James Bond

But 007 IS James Bond!

Raggamuffin wrote:But 007 IS James Bond!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/00_Agent

Raggamuffin wrote:But 007 IS James Bond!

It's obviously a code number agents are given, since it's established there are a number of "double-O" agents. It would stand to reason that these agents sometimes retire, die or get fired, and that new agents would be designated their old number.

If the Bond universe decides to retire Bond, it would make no sense for MI6 not to assign 007 to another agent.

Yes, yes, I know that logically, but you can't just call someone else 007 - it's absurd. Can't they call her 008 or something?

Raggamuffin wrote:Yes, yes, I know that logically, but you can't just call someone else 007 - it's absurd. Can't they call her 008 or something?

Hahahahaha that really made me chuckle.

Raggamuffin wrote:Yes, yes, I know that logically, but you can't just call someone else 007 - it's absurd. Can't they call her 008 or something?

Why not 069?

Maddog wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:Yes, yes, I know that logically, but you can't just call someone else 007 - it's absurd. Can't they call her 008 or something?

Why not 069?

Sexist.

eddie wrote:

Maddog wrote:

Why not 069?

Sexist.

Cant both sexes engage in that position?

Maddog wrote:

eddie wrote:

Maddog wrote:

Why not 069?

Sexist.

Cant both sexes engage in that position?  

True that but...yeah you wouldn’t say that about a male 007, would you?
So!


Sexist.

Raggamuffin wrote:Yes, yes, I know that logically, but you can't just call someone else 007 - it's absurd. Can't they call her 008 or something?

Okay, to geek out a bit, I believe the double-O agents go from 1 to 9. It wouldn't make sense to give her 008 unless 008 had also retired, died or was sacked, at the same time James Bond retired.

Personally, I like the cold lack of sentiment implied by giving someone else the same number designation -- it says that in their line of work, the job is more important than the person. Very British stiff-upper-lippy if you ask me

Fred Moletrousers wrote:James Bond was based on a Scottish wartime Royal Navy Commander (the equivalent of an army Lt.Col. or an RAF Wing Commander) with whom author Ian Flemming served in Naval Intelligence in WW2.

This casting  is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.

Very silly.

Now, I know that this will immediately attract the wrath of the trendy Left and assorted feminazis...but what the hell, I'm old enough and curmudgeonly enough to respond in the immortal words: Piss off.

Ben Reilly wrote:

Fred Moletrousers wrote:James Bond was based on a Scottish wartime Royal Navy Commander (the equivalent of an army Lt.Col. or an RAF Wing Commander) with whom author Ian Flemming served in Naval Intelligence in WW2.

This casting  is just more tokenism and a sop to the present day mania for so-called diversity and equality...regardless of reality.

Very silly.

Now, I know that this will immediately attract the wrath of the trendy Left and assorted feminazis...but what the hell, I'm old enough and curmudgeonly enough to respond in the immortal words: Piss off.

But this new 007 seems to be NOT James Bond, but a new character, so why does it matter who the character of James Bond was based upon?

And I have to wonder why people who cry PC and tokenism seem to be so upset that a hero won't be portrayed by a white man -- sorry!

But it does seem to me that anybody can be a hero, and it doesn't make sense to expect the fictional depictions of them to all look the same.

Ian Fleming's books represent, in my view, classic 20th century literature, and I do not regard the role of the performing arts to be the promotion of overtly political statements. I am sure that the actress cast in his traditional 007 characterisation is talented and supremely qualified in her profession....but she ain't Fleming's 007, and she never will be in my opinion.

That is purely my my personal view on an aspect of (loosely) fact-based literature in which I have an interest. I knew it would be unpopular; I've already given my response.

The films are known as 'Bond' films, the whole basis is the particular character, so maybe they should have made the female character James Bond's love child Jamie Bond taking on the family business. I haven't watched a Bond film for years though.

Vintage wrote:The films are known as 'Bond' films, the whole basis is the particular character, so maybe they should have made the female character James Bond's love child Jamie Bond taking on the family business. I haven't watched a Bond film for years though.

She would have to be transgender though........

Oh of course.

For goodness sake, was there not women SOE operatives in WW2? Many of whem sacrificed their lives?

Yes its complete wokeness why this has been done, but for people to think a woman cannot be a 007 is really entering the realms of the dinosaurs.

If it flops, then you can all claim that they never should have changed it, but why not give it a chance before you continually slate it

I wonder how long it'll be before we have films with, Nellie Armstrong uttering the first words on the moon, Hillary Edmunds conquering Everest,  Willimenia the Conqueror, Henrietta Vlll and Horatia Nelson.
There were very good operatives that were female in fact they tended to be more successful than male operatives for many reasons. The top agent in occupied France was female and extremely successful evading capture. The James Bond character is a well established character of a type. Personally I don't mind who they have although I agree with Syl
in her choice of Idris Elba.