Roger Moore’s son believes only a man can play James Bond - here’s some females we think could be 007

Add Geoffrey Moore to the list of performers who believe that James Bond should never be played by a female. The son of former Bond actor Roger Moore, in an interview with the Express, was asked his thoughts on who should take over the role from Daniel Craig, and in particular if a woman could play the role his father helped popularise. 

The 57-year-old responded “Well, then it's no longer James Bond. I mean, she could be 006, 008, or 009,” while qualifying this comment with “[...] in the last Bond I think this was the confusion. That she [Nomi] was 007 and then said, 'I've got to give it back to Bond. It's his number.” Noting that there are strong female action heroes, citing Charlize Theron’s role in the 2017 film Atomic Blonde, he continued to tell the Express “Maybe there will be a 'From the filmmakers of James Bond comes Jane or Jemima Bond' or whatever.”

It’s a similar thought process that the most recent Bond, Daniel Craig, suggested when asked about the idea of a female bond in 2021. During an interview with the Radio Times in 2017, he explained “the answer to that is very simple. 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?”

It’s not just the male of the species weighing in why a female shouldn’t be cast as the next Bond; Barbara Broccoli, who controls the James Bond franchise, echoed Daniel Craig’s sentiments in her interview with The Hollywood Reporter in 2021: “I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” she explained. 

“I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women.”

The same can be said for No Time To Die actress Ana de Armas regarding her sentiments regarding a female bond, telling The S*n “There's no need for a female Bond. There shouldn't be any need to steal someone else's character, you know, to take over. This is a novel, and it leads into this James Bond world and this fantasy of that universe where he's at”

But with reports suggesting that the franchise is set for a refresh now Daniel Craig’s time as the suave, sophisticated secret agent, including No Time To Die co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge once again picking up writing responsibilities and the rumour of Daisy May Cooper taking over the M mantle, once held by Dame Judi Dench and a slew of male actors beforehand, Peopleworld pose the question - what if a female was cast as James Bond, and who would we like to see possibly take the code name?

Lashana Lynch

Lashana Lynch’s name was already mentioned by Geoffrey Moore as the reason why James Bond shouldn’t/couldn’t be played by a female. But what if her returning the 007 number to Bond was a ruse and, in fact, she kept the mantle as a double bluff to fans and other members of MI6?

She’s no stranger to the action genre either, portraying Maria Lambeau in both MCU films Captain Marvel in 2019 and a cameo role in the 2022 Doctor Strange sequel. She is, however, currently filming an as yet untitled biopic about Bob Marley, scheduled for release in 2024. 

Angelina Jolie

We know that Angelina Jolie can play a British accented action hero; her roles in both Tomb Raider and Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life saw the American actress bring computer character Lara Croft to life, to great commercial success.

Her accent wasn’t even ridiculed, given a near pitch-perfect impression of an upper class adventurer who is deft with wheeling two weapons and a penchant for escaping out of even the most extreme situation. Sounds a lot like the kind of situations that James Bond has found himself in across the legacy of his character - so why not give Jolie a chance, if she wants it?

Zoe Saldana

Another member of the MCU universe, many will recall Saldana’s work as Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, going on to appear in a number of Marvel crossover films. But the MCU wasn’t Saldana’s first foray into the action movie genre.

That would require us to go back to 2011, with her in the lead role in Luc Besson’s film Colombiana. She played Cataleya, seeking revenge against a drug baron after the death of her family while a 9-year-old. 

Bella Ramsay

A bit of a wildcard entry on this list, but given her performances in HBO’s latest hit, The Last of Us, we feel that she could in the future have the same gravitas that one expects from James Bond. A gravitas that she also brought to her roles in Game of Thrones and His Dark Materials.

Technically speaking, if she did play James Bond, she wouldn’t be a female bond either; Bella Ramsay identifies as non-binary, posing a whole new series of questions - could 007 be non-binary rather than male or female in future movies in the franchise?