If There Was a Man

If There Was a Man

Debbie McWilliams — who cast the past 14 Bond films — has shared her thoughts on the future of 007.

When asked whether James Bond could be a woman or a person of colour, she offered a straightforward answer:

"Not in my opinion. No. Ian Fleming wrote a character, and that's the character that stays. That's what I think. I mean, other people might think otherwise, but I don't think that".

She also said none of the frontrunners can cut it as they're too famous:

"It is absolutely essential that he retains a total enigma. I don't want to see any of them as Bond because we now know so much about them. We want to know as little about them personally as possible, because that's what spies are.

"We don’t need to know where he goes shopping or who his parents are, or where he lives. We never want to see him at home. And a vital element of the whole thing is his job description. He's licensed to kill, and we have to believe that he can do that. If you don't, then you've lost the audience".

Could Bond No.7 be a complete unknown?

Former James Bond casting maestro reveals issue with fan favourites | Radio  Times

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Joe Emery

Joe is Editor of For Bond Fans Only and a writer by trade. When he's not watching Bond, he can be found listening to The Beatles and worrying about West Ham. You can find him on X @joeemerywrites

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