Former Bond girl Eva Green believes the superspy should always be played by a man. In an interview with Vanity Fair, the Casino Royale star said she thinks that there's room for powerful women in the James Bond universe while the central character continues to be a man.
“I’m for women, but I really think James Bond should remain a man. It doesn’t make sense for him to be a woman,” Green said at the premiere of Disney's Dumbo remake. “Women can play different types of characters, be in action movies and be superheroes, but James Bond should always be a man and not be Jane Bond. There is history with the character that should continue. He should be played by a man.”
Green's views on the character echo those of Rachel Weisz. The wife of departing Bond Daniel Craig said 007 is too intrinsically male to be changed without straying far from Ian Fleming's original vision. She said Fleming “devoted an awful lot of time to writing this particular character, who is particularly male and relates in a particular way to women.”
"Why not create your own story rather than jumping on to the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?" Weisz said. "Women are really fascinating and interesting and should get their own stories.”
Green noted that the Bond girls have grown into strong characters in their own right and that newer films have allowed them to be more than just props for Bond to act out his rakish playboy lifestyle.
“I love the fact that the Bond girls have evolved,” said Green.“I originally had reservations about being a Bond girl. I didn’t want to be a bimbo. The women are now perceived differently. They are intelligent and sassy and fascinating. I loved playing Vesper. She’s the only one to get to Bond’s heart and has a big impact on his life.”
The call for a woman was backed by Idris Elba, who doesn't seem to be playing the character no matter how bad the internet wants it. “Could be a woman—could be a black woman, could be a white woman,” he speculated in an interview with Variety. “Do something different with it. Why not?”
