Progressive writers should stay away from the “James Bond” series, according to one of the industry’s most celebrated actresses.
For years, critics have wondered how long it would take for the iconic macho character to become a feminist version of himself or be portrayed by a woman entirely.
Even actor Pierce Brosnan, who portrayed the spy four times between 1995 and 2002, suggested the iconic character should be played by a female because he would find it “exhilarating.”
“Get out of the way, guys, and put a woman up there,” Brosnan said in September 2019.
Now, Brosnan’s own co-star is telling him the beloved character cannot be played by a woman, ever.
‘James Bond has to be James Bond; otherwise it becomes something else.’
During an interview for the upcoming film “The Thursday Murder Club,” Brosnan was asked to reflect on what the Bond character means to him after all this time.
However, it was his recent co-star and revered actress Helen Mirren who stole the headlines and put her foot down on the character.
At 80, Mirren plays a retired spy in her new movie and was asked by outlet Saga if the female spy is a “better portrayal” of the world of espionage than 007 is.
“So many women have worked in that world. She’s a manifestation of a reality, that’s for sure,” Mirren said, before dropping the hammer on the reporter. “More realistic. But not so much fun as Bond! I’m such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy. You can’t have a woman. It just doesn’t work.”
Mirren added that if you turn Bond into a woman, the movie franchise would shift entirely.
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Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan attend Netflix’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ New York screening at the Plaza Hotel on August 14, 2025, in New York City. Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
“James Bond has to be James Bond; otherwise it becomes something else,” Mirren declared.
Brosnan, on the other hand, seemingly reversed his commentary from 2019 and stated he is “so excited to see the next man come on the stage.”
“I adore the world of James Bond. It’s been very good to me,” the 72-year- old continued, explaining that he is just a member of the audience now. “It’s the gift that keeps giving.”
Despite Brosnan’s apparent change in opinion, the Bond franchise creators have been much less forgiving to the media when it comes to what gender James Bond can be.
About five months after Brosnan’s feminist comments, sentiments of a she-Bond were shut down by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, relatives of the original spy movie producer, Albert R. Broccoli.
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Eva Green, Daniel Craig, and Caterina Murino during ‘Casino Royale’ at Le Grand Rex theater in Paris, France. Photo by Toni Anne Barson/WireImage
“He can be of any color, but he is male,” Barbara Broccoli told Variety in December 2019. “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 series flirted with a change in 2021’s “No Time to Die,” actor Daniel Craig’s last foray as the lead character. Actress Lashana Lynch became 007 in Bond’s absence during the film, meaning technically 007 was a woman, but the character of James Bond was not.
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