British actress Gemma Arterton does not agree with this idea gender swapped james bondThinking that moviegoers would find it “offensive”.
In a recent interview with UK outlet, The Times, Arterton explained that James Bond being portrayed as a woman is absurd at first glance.
“Isn’t the role of a female James Bond like Mary Poppins being played by a man?”. He was amazed. “They talk about it, but I think people would find it very offensive.”
Arterton played British Secret Service agent Strawberry Fields in the 2008 Bond film “Quantum of Solace”, the second film in the series starring Daniel Craig. He stressed that Hollywood should respect the character’s legacy and not opt for change.
“Sometimes you just have to respect tradition,” he said.
Recasting the identity of the title character has been a popular topic in Hollywood circles in recent years, as producers have considered changing the formula of the franchise. Craig’s final turn as a detective In 2021’s “No Time to Die”.
Craig pushed back on the idea, saying that he did not think Bond should be gender-swapped. Rather, he believes that there could be a similar franchise approach with a female lead.
“Why should a woman play James Bond, when it’s just as good a role as James Bond, but for a woman?” he asked in an interview with Radio Times in 2021.
Bond creator Barbara Broccoli has expressed openness to James Bond being played by an actor of a different race. Idris Elba, a British actor of African descent, was long the favorite to step into this legendary role, although he recently refused to do so,
However, broccoli has poured cold water on the idea of a female James Bond.
He told Variety in 2020“He can be any color, but he is male. I believe we should create 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 much more interesting than that.
In another interview, Broccoli expressed Bond’s openness to identifying as “non-binary” and using they/them pronouns.
When asked about that possibility on the “Girls on Film” podcast in 2021, Broccoli replied“Who knows? I mean, I think it’s open. We just have to find the right actor.
Others have also theorized that Bond may be gay. During a press conference at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, A reporter asked Craig“Do you think there could be a gay James Bond?”
The actor rolled his eyes at this question.
Arterton told The Times that she was confused as to why she was still so attached to the “Bond girl” title, even though her role in the 2008 film was so small – just minutes after being introduced. His character was killed off.
“I don’t regret doing the Bond film, but I do wonder why it followed me. I was only in the film for five minutes,” she said.
