It takes a certain kind of passion to inhabit an iconic character for the better part of a decade, but that’s exactly what Daniel Craig has done with James Bond. The imminent release of Spectre marks the actor’s fourth outing as the iconic British secret agent, and his ninth year in the role. Craig clearly has a knack for playing 007, but that does not necessarily mean he agrees with the character’s moral center.
In a recent interview with The Red Bulletin, Craig explained that while James Bond may be a hero who saves the world time after time, and even a gentleman, he’s not necessarily the best human being. Craig said:
...let’s not forget that he’s actually a misogynist. A lot of women are drawn to him chiefly because he embodies a certain kind of danger and never sticks around for too long
James Bond has always been accused of misogyny, especially in the earlier days of his existence. The character often used his masculinity and libido to get his way during the era of Sean Connery – essentially uses his sexual prowess to lure Pussy Galore over to his side in Goldfinger. Even Archer’s Adam Reed accused the original character from the novels of committing rape on several occasions. Craig seems to have caught on to these faults of the character, and notes that – while entertaining – there’s nothing admirable about them.
In recent years much of the misogyny has been toned down in the Daniel Craig era of James Bond films, but in the actor’s mind that has more to do with the female characters the filmmakers have surrounded him with – see: Vesper Lynd, Eve Moneypenny, M – rather than any real core changes to Bond himself. When Judi Dench took over the role of M in Goldeneye – the first ever woman to do so – one of her first remarks was that the newly christened Pierce Brosnan 007 was "a sexist misogynist dinosaur a relic of the cold war." It makes one wonder whether or not these elements of the character are even relevant anymore. Brosnan himself came out recently stating that he would be in favor of making James Bond homosexual sometime in the future. This doesn't necessarily eliminate the possibility of misogyny within the character, but it would certainly shake up the current status quo.
Spectre hits theaters on November 6.
