• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Producer of James Bond says he will remain male. New characters should be created for women.

cormack12

Gold Member
Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-51133194

_110004124_dc-universal-new-crop.jpg


The producer of the James Bond films has ruled out making the character female after Daniel Craig's departure.

"James Bond can be of any colour, but he is male," producer Barbara Broccoli told Variety.
"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."

The forthcoming Bond film will see actress Lashana Lynch play a female 00 agent after Craig's Bond has left active service.

Lynch was seen in character for the first time in the trailer, reigniting the conversation about whether James Bond himself could be re-cast as a woman for the next film.

Broccoli oversees the franchise with her half-brother Michael G Wilson. "For better or worse, we are the custodians of this character," she said. "We take that responsibility seriously."

_89073042_broccoli_getty.jpg


So in order to have a female 007, James Bond will need to retire or be killed in the franchise. No issues with a 003 - Natasha Romanoff/Anna type character, which the producer seems to echo, especially with Lynch as a different agent. Always made the most sense to do it this way.
 
Last edited:

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
"He can be of ANY COLOR?!?!?...."

wait? where's the culture appropriation here??

James Bond is a STRAIGHT WHITE MALE character
I mean his race has very little to do with the character. Him being male and banging women does.
 

zeioIIDX

Member
Don't necessarily always have to have an exact equivalent to the male character either...I mean, I loved Natasha from GoldenEye. She had useful skills that 007 just didn't possess such as advanced computer/programming/hacking knowledge as well as being able to speak Russian. She pulled her weight a few times which helped James Bond and I like that. On the other hand, a female 00 agent is pretty sweet too. What they showed of Lashan in the trailer looked great to me and I dig that she was dressed like her own type of agent, she was wearing an outfit that looked even more tactical than James Bond's lol. I just wish they wouldn't make female characters that display some sense of needing to prove themselves like "Hey, look! I'm just as good as or better than a man!". Hell, just make a badass female character and leave it at that, please. Shouldn't be a contest or anything.
 

GV82

Member
I can’t bring myself to watch James Bond since Pierce Brosnan and his last few were so ridiculous that I gave up on the franchise, I hear Craig was meant to be good but when I heard people compared compared his bond is more like Jason Bourne type of spy I was like hang on thats not James Bond, maybe it’s a cool Spy film but it did not not really sound like Bond to me.


Die Another Day was the last one I saw.
 

zeioIIDX

Member
I can’t bring myself to watch James Bond since Pierce Brosnan and his last few were so ridiculous that I gave up on the franchise, I hear Craig was meant to be good but when I heard people compared compared his bond is more like Jason Bourne type of spy I was like hang on thats not James Bond, maybe it’s a cool Spy film but it did not not really sound like Bond to me.


Die Another Day was the last one I saw.
You owe it to yourself to at least watch Casino Royale, seriously. It's great. Theme song kicks ass too.
 
I mean his race has very little to do with the character. Him being male and banging women does.
naaa he has to be white

if you gave all the characteristics of aladdin to a white dude or a korean dude that's not alladin

if you transferred the characteristics of shaft to a nicaraguan guy that's not shaft
 
I mean his race has very little to do with the character. Him being male and banging women does.

Nope. HE MUST BE WHITE

If the lefties bitch about how we have to culturally appropriate dress, costumes, character skins, then James Bond belongs to the white culture.

If they specifically look for brown actor for Aladdin, then white actor has to play the role of James Bond
 
Last edited:

MaestroMike

Gold Member
i thought james bond just has to have a british accent and be a womanizing alcoholic

and what kinda last name is broccoli thats hilarious lol barbara broccoli is like the name of a veggietales character
 
Last edited:
He kind of is unless you purposefully want to alter that aspect of the existing character for some reason.

Not really. Besides the color of the skin being white each of the actors playing James Bond were quite different. If we define him by his skin color then we should define him by his characteristics as well and Daniel Craig certainly is very different compared to Sean Connery for example.
 

Nymphae

Banned
Not really. Besides the color of the skin being white each of the actors playing James Bond were quite different. If we define him by his skin color then we should define him by his characteristics as well and Daniel Craig certainly is very different compared to Sean Connery for example.

Yeah, really. It's never been written that he is black in any of the books, is it?
 

Mato

Member
They've come to their senses eh? Personally I would prefer that he remains a white British man, I just think it's part of the charm. I'm not staunchly opposed to a different skin tone if they must, just not Idris Elba. I find that his face and general physique is too overtly beefycake-y.
 

Lady Bird

Matsuno's Goebbels
That's the right thing to say.

I'm all for interesting female leads in movies, but not at the cost of existing characters with an estabilished audience / fanbase.
 
Don't be ridiculous. A lot of people have asked for Idris Elba to take on the role of James Bond. Now all of a sudden it's not fine? If you want to be racist go ahead but James Bond is not defined by his skin color.

Nope, not being racist, just going by the books (James Bond is described as white British male) and the rules set by lefties that we should be culture appropriate (correctly cast actors/actresses according by how they are described in the original story); Like brown man for Alladin, Chinese for Mulan, etc. ScarJo got a lot criticism for portraying Kusanagi in GiTS

Going by those rules, don’t know how a black man can appropriately portray a white British male
 

Kenpachii

Member
Just stop making bonds and make something else then. Instead of changing everything for the sake of changing.

Bond is white male and british. Makes zero sense to have anybody else in there.
 
Last edited:

Nymphae

Banned
Yes and Hollywood has never ever changed a character from the books.

So we agree that it's a defining aspect of the character which has never been altered in the entire history of the franchise. Of course you can change fundamental aspects of a character, but it begs the question as to why. We all know why. It's just funny that race swapping characters is generally a one way street. Think we'll ever see a white Storm?
 
Last edited:
So we agree that it's a defining aspect of the character which has never been altered in the entire history of the franchise. Of course you can change fundamental aspects of a character, but it begs the question as to why. We all know why. It's just funny that race swapping characters is generally a one way street. Think we'll ever see a white Storm?

No, we don't. His skin color hasn't changed but the portrayal of the character has changed over the years and thus there's no reason why his skin color shouldn't change either. Yes, the woke Hollywood is an issue however a lot of people, even on gaf, have said many times that Idris Elba would fit quite well as James Bond. Again if you think James Bond should forever remain white then good for you, but to me, it's fucking ridiculous. James Bond as long as he remains a badass male character with class, I don't care if he's black, asian or whatever.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
Yes and Hollywood has never ever changed a character from the books. Cmon. Nothing wrong with a Black, or Asian James Bond but hey you be you.

Full agreement here. Don't give a damn about the ethnicity of the person who plays Bond as long he's a suave dude who kicks ass. I was super behind the idea of Idris Elba, for example. Arguably the two most famous James Bond actors weren't even English!

Agreed that they should also be making new characters for women rather than gender-bending long-existing characters (same deal with Link in the Zelda series who always comes up in these conversations). I feel like this producer gets it.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Nymphae

Banned
...the portrayal of the character has changed over the years

lol of course, different actors are going to play the part lol, the "portrayal" is different with each actor but the fundamental aspects of the character, in each portrayal, have remained unchanged for decades.

...there's no reason why his skin color shouldn't change

There's no reason why it should need to change, aside from social justice concerns.
 
D

Deleted member 17706

Unconfirmed Member
lol of course, different actors are going to play the part lol, the "portrayal" is different with each actor but the fundamental aspects of the character, in each portrayal, have remained unchanged for decades.



There's no reason why it should need to change, aside from social justice concerns.

I'd of course be against changing it solely for some diversity quota, but if someone like Idris Elba were to show up for an audition, I sure would hope they would seriously consider him for the role. I see no reason why it *has* to be someone with white skin. It's a movie franchise set in the modern day. There's no reason why it *couldn't* be someone of a different ethnicity in my opinion.
 
lol of course, different actors are going to play the part lol, the "portrayal" is different with each actor but the fundamental aspects of the character, in each portrayal, have remained unchanged for decades.



There's no reason why it should need to change, aside from social justice concerns.

No such thing as fundamental aspects of the character. Pulling shit out of your ass now seriously. If you're going to stay true to the source material whether it's books or not, then stay true to it. Different actors does not mean they couldn't act the same as the original or the source material so if the characters or "portrayal" changed, the skin can change as well. "Oh it's fine if the guy is a comedian now as long as he is still white!!!". Theres no reason why it shouldnt change and it has nothing to do with social justice.
 

Nymphae

Banned
No such thing as fundamental aspects of the character.

It is fundamental, it's part of the basic makeup of the character, and has been since it's inception. Like I said above, you could make him black, but it begs the question, why? Would the story have worked with the character as originally envisioned? Yes? Then what is the rationale for the change. No one would let Storm be tuned into a white woman. We don't hear this argument ever, because no one has the balls to try and pull a black to white race switch (and really, again, why would this be necessary?)
 
Last edited:
No one would let Storm be tuned into a white woman

Won't disagree on this but the most common answer to that statement is usually because white people already dominate the industry. I think you could also apply that to the James Bond black male argument as well. Spy movies as classy as James Bond are already rare or non-existant so as long as some woke Hollywood higher ups are satisfied with only a skin change and nothing more drastic, and I'm sure you're aware how woke this shit can truly get, then I will be pleased. A fresh/new perspective won't hurt as long as the male actor is amazingly talented.
 
Last edited:
F

Foamy

Unconfirmed Member
If you put a black man as James Bond and he acts like the traditional Bond they'll accuse the movie of white washing the actor. Have him portrayed as too black and traditionalists will reject him.
It's a lose/lose situation better off just being avoided.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Nymphae

Banned
Won't disagree on this but the most common answer to that statement is usually because white people already dominate the industry.

right so like I said, the most common rationale for a race switch is....social justice concerns. Write your own characters.
 

Atrus

Gold Member
Female versions can do quite well if they're not treading on the legacy of an established character and franchise like Bond.

6 Underground on Netflix had a female James Bond-like character that I thought worked very well and Atomic Blonde was also pretty good. However, there is a marked difference between the number of people who enjoy a character like James Bond versus a knockoff.

Even Bond is hard-pressed to attract audiences these days with off and on success.
 
People in this thread are slower than cornbread cooked in a microwave.

All they're saying is the star who will play bond will still be a women, she just wan't be called 007.

She'll instead be called something like zero zero seven instead of double oh seven. See the difference?

This is Hollywood people you need to wake up to their mind games, they just use all this fake outrage to confuse the masses to push the agenda.

You think BTS is a popular band? Niggas don't even speak English but you believe they got people who don't understand the words that be coming outta of they mouths staying in camps waiting 7 days for a two song concert? Come on guys, they just set it up that way because they dumb you down with the chemicals in your cereal and cheese, and then tell you that random Korean homosexuals become popular out of nowhere in the middle of the street, and you buy it.

Same pattern over and over and you don't see it? Drink water and buy organic food, you'll thank me later.



What?
 

BadBurger

Is 'That Pure Potato'
I don't see a reason to switch up any established characters' race or gender. James Bond is James Bond, we're happy with that, have been for decades, there's absolutely no reason to alter the character in some radical way. If you want different characters then make new characters, I am glad the producer agrees.

I'm not even white and I could complain about this trend in Hollywood all night if you let me. I mean Mary Jane Watson, the quintessential comic book redhead ..... you know what I'll just stop.
 
Top Bottom