Rumors recently surfaced that Captain Marvel actress Lashana Lynch was joining the cast of Bond 25 as none other than 007. Based on the rumor, it seems her character Nomi would be taking over the 007 designation at MI6 following James Bond’s retirement. Now one of the film’s screenwriters, Fleabag and Killing Eve creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was brought in to punch up the script, has responded to the rumors, saying:
The whole thing has potential to birth new iconic characters all the time.
Well, that’s not exactly a confirmation, but it’s definitely not a denial either. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is clearly playing coy in her response to The Hollywood Reporter’s inquiry about Lashana Lynch’s involvement in Bond 25. But it certainly seems like the rumors about Lashana Lynch as 007 contain at least some grains of truth.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s answer is an interesting one and it tells you how she feels about the franchise she is contributing to. The way she sees it, the James Bond franchise is one in which new characters can always be introduced and become instantly iconic. On that point she is absolutely correct.
The Bond franchise has plenty of iconic recurring characters like Bond himself, such as Miss Moneypenny and the villain Blofeld, but not every iconic character has to be a franchise staple that originated in Ian Fleming’s novels. New characters can be introduced and become truly iconic, like Javier Bardem’s Raoul Silva in Skyfall, who is now one of the franchise’s most memorable villains.
While talking about the potential for iconic characters, Phoebe Waller-Bridge doesn’t explicitly say that she is referring to Lashana Lynch’s Nomi, however the context of her answer would lead you to think that she is.
That alone is enough to get us excited about Lashana Lynch’s character in Bond 25. Her character Nomi will presumably be an entirely new creation, and whether that character possesses the 007 moniker or not, Phoebe Waller-Bridge seems rather high on what she brings to the film and her potential to become iconic.
If Lashana Lynch’s Nomi is indeed working at MI6 under the 007 designation, you have to think that she is highly capable and will represent a very different kind of 007 and therefore act as an interesting foil to Daniel Craig’s James Bond.
Hopefully we’ll find out more details about Lashana Lynch’s Nomi and the rest of what’s going on in Bond 25, including a title, soon. The latest installment in the long-running franchise, which is expected to be Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, has dealt with nothing but trouble behind the scenes, including delays, script issues, injuries and criminal activity.
With any luck all that struggle will be worth it and we’ll get some iconic characters and Daniel Craig’s tenure can go out on a high note with an iconic entry in the Bond legacy.
Bond 25 hits theaters on April 8, 2020. Check out our premiere guide to keep up with everything headed to theaters this year.
