The times are a changin' for the James Bond franchise. Eon Productions is still looking for a director to succeed Sam Mendes and oversee James Bond 25, as well as figure out if the movie will remain at Sony Pictures or be released by a different studio. Once James Bond 25 is out of the way, it will be the end of an era, as it will mark Daniel Craig's last time playing 007. It will be a long time until we learn who Craig's Bond replacement will be, but Eon producer Barbara Broccoli hasn't ruled out that the next person to play the spy who's fond of drinking shaken, not stirred, martinis won't be the traditional white man. When asked if the next James Bond could be a woman and/or person of color, Broccoli responded:
These films tend to reflect the times so we always try to push the envelope a little bit. Anything is possible.
While this is by no means confirmation that the next time we see James Bond, it will be a woman or person of color portraying the spy, Barbara Broccoli's comment to Daily Mail reveal that the option, among others, hasn't been ruled out. For over 50 years, James Bond has been played by a white man, and while each have ranged in age and occasionally had different hair color, there haven't been many major visual differences between these incarnations. Given the loose continuity between each "generation" of James Bond movies, the franchise could certainly "relaunch" with a different kind of actor donning the tuxedo, much like how 2006's Casino Royale was a reboot that introduced Daniel Craig as a Bond who was just beginning his career as a 007 agent. This doesn't work quite as seamlessly as Time Lords regenerating on Doctor Who, but it's a creative direction that's at least on the table.
For now, though, Eon Productions is working on making sure that Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond ends with a bang. After months of rumors and speculation, Craig finally confirmed that he would play Bond for a fifth time. Neil Purvis and Robert Wade returned to pen the script, and last August, it was reported that Denis Villeneuve, David Mackenzie and Yann Demange were the frontrunners for the directing gig, though Villeneuve has since taken himself out of the running due to already being committed to the Dune reboot. So far Craig is the only actor confirmed to appear in James Bond 25, but it was rumored last September that Léa Seydoux might briefly reprise her role as Dr. Madeleine Swann, who debuted in Spectre.
James Bond 25 will be released in theaters on November 8, 2019, so keep checking back with CinemaBlend for updates on that movie, as well as what's in store for 007 after that. Don't forget to also browse through our 2018 premiere guide to see what's being screened over the next 12 months.
