Helen Mirren, the acclaimed British actress and self-described proud feminist, has never shied away from voicing her opinions. Yet, her recent remarks on the future of James Bond have set off a fresh round of debate in Hollywood and beyond. As Amazon MGM Studios prepares to relaunch the world’s most famous spy franchise, Mirren’s stance is clear: James Bond should remain a man.
Speaking to Saga Magazine in mid-August 2025 while promoting her new film, The Thursday Murder Club, Mirren addressed the ongoing speculation about whether a woman could—or should—slip into Bond’s iconic tuxedo. “I’m such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy,” she insisted. “You can’t have a woman. It just doesn’t work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.” According to Deadline, Mirren’s comments came as the search for the next 007 heats up, with Amazon MGM Studios holding the creative reins for the first time.
Mirren’s opinion is rooted not in a lack of respect for women’s capabilities—quite the opposite. She’s long been outspoken about the courage and skill of women in the world of espionage. “Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service, they always have been. And very brave,” she told The London Standard. She went on to praise the extraordinary women of the French Resistance and suggested that cinema would do well to tell more real stories about such figures. Still, for Mirren, changing Bond’s gender would fundamentally alter the character’s essence.
Mirren’s position is not without nuance. She plays a retired spy in The Thursday Murder Club, which she described as a “manifestation of a reality” when it comes to portraying women in espionage. “It’s more realistic. But not so much fun as Bond!” she admitted, as reported by Fox News. Despite her admiration for strong female characters, she draws a firm line at recasting Bond as a woman, emphasizing that the role is intrinsically male in her view.
Her co-star in The Thursday Murder Club and fellow Bond alum, Pierce Brosnan, shares her enthusiasm for the franchise’s future—albeit with a slightly shifting perspective. Once an advocate for a female Bond, Brosnan told The Hollywood Reporter in 2019, “I think we’ve watched the guys do it for the last 40 years. Get out of the way, guys, and put a woman up there. I think it would be exhilarating, it would be exciting.” But in his recent conversation with Saga Magazine, Brosnan echoed Mirren’s current view: “I wish them well. I’m so excited to see the next man come on the stage and to see a whole new exuberance and life for this character.” He added, “I adore the world of James Bond. It’s been very good to me. It’s the gift that keeps giving. And I’m just a member of the audience now, sitting back, saying: ‘Show us what you’re going to do.’”
This shift in sentiment is not unique to Brosnan. The conversation around Bond’s gender has evolved alongside the character himself, who has been portrayed by a parade of actors—Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby, Brosnan, and most recently Daniel Craig—since the film series began in 1962. As Rolling Stone noted, Daniel Craig’s tenure as Bond was the longest, ending with 2021’s No Time to Die. That film briefly introduced Lashana Lynch as Agent 007, a move that sparked both excitement and a wave of racist and misogynistic backlash. Craig himself weighed in on the controversy, telling Radio Times, “There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”
The debate over Bond’s identity has become especially pointed since Amazon’s $1 billion acquisition of the franchise in early 2025. With the Broccoli family—longtime stewards of Bond’s legacy—ceding creative control to Amazon MGM Studios, there’s anticipation and uncertainty about what direction the new team will take. Amy Pascal, known for the Spider-Man franchise, and David Heyman, producer of the Harry Potter films, were announced in May as the new production leads. “James Bond is one of the most iconic characters in the history of cinema,” they said in a joint statement. “We are humbled to follow in the footsteps of Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson who made so many extraordinary films and honoured and excited to keep the spirit of Bond very much alive as he embarks on his next adventure.”
The search for the next Bond is well underway, with a swirl of rumors and speculation about who will inherit the Walther PPK. Names like Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Callum Turner, Theo James, Henry Cavill, Regé-Jean Page, and Paul Mezcal have all been mentioned, though nothing is confirmed. Idris Elba, long a fan favorite, reportedly removed himself from consideration, according to GQ Magazine. As Variety reported, Amazon MGM Studios is seeking a “fresh, exotic new” Bond, potentially looking for an actor in his 20s, though older candidates haven’t been ruled out.
Behind the scenes, screenwriter Steven Knight and director Denis Villeneuve have been tapped to shape Bond’s next chapter, as Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter confirmed. The creative overhaul comes at a time when the franchise is grappling with its own legacy. The essential qualities of Bond—his patriotism, ruthlessness, irresistible charm, and penchant for monochrome suits—have been dissected and debated for decades. As The Guardian pointed out, Bond’s evolution from “lovable chauvinist” to “anguished quester after the truth of the self” mirrors society’s changing expectations of masculinity.
Yet, the question lingers: does keeping Bond male preserve the character’s core, or does it risk stagnation in a changing world? Mirren and Brosnan, both seasoned veterans of the screen and of the Bond universe, seem to agree that the franchise’s vitality lies in honoring its history while finding new energy within those established boundaries. For Mirren, the solution isn’t to recast Bond as a woman, but to create equally compelling female characters whose stories are rooted in authenticity and courage.
As Amazon MGM Studios prepares to unveil a new era for 007, the debate over Bond’s future remains as lively as ever. Whether the next Bond will break new ground or double down on tradition, one thing is certain: the world will be watching—shaken, not stirred.
