One of the more amusing tantrums thrown by fandom I’ve witnessed in recent memory was when it was revealed that a new female 007 will be introduced in Bond 25. For the most part, people on social media read only the headlines, and it didn’t help matters when certain outlets blatantly referred to Lashana Lynch’s character as being “a female James Bond” in every sense.
To put it simply, the femme fatale to be introduced has merely succeed Daniel Craig’s James Bond at MI-6 following his retirement. For all we know, she could bite the dust in the opening action sequence. Either way, we’re still going to see Bond himself kicking the crap out of bad guys. And if another agent of any gender gives him a helping hand along the way, I see no harm in that.
In any case, while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge first commented on what’s so exciting about contributing to this film franchise:
“There’s something about James Bond that always intrigued me in a similar way that Villanelle did. They live a fantasy! But it’s a life none of us would ever want, if we’re honest. We don’t want to go put a bullet in someone’s head to sleep with people and have martinis. It’s a kind of fantasy nightmare.”
Soon afterward, Waller-Bridge addressed reports saying Lynch is suiting up as the new 007, saying:
“The whole thing has potential to birth new iconic characters all the time.”
Though that statement was somewhat cryptic and coy, it forces us to consider the possibility of this new agent playing a bigger part in the tale than one might assume. If all goes well and this is taken to its full extent, then maybe we could one day see Bond spinoffs. After all, with the mainline movies being years apart, well-timed offshoots would be one way to keep audiences engaged.
Bond 25, or whatever it winds up being called, arrives in theaters on April 8th, 2020.
