Rumor: The Next James Bond Revealed

The Daily Mail is reporting that the Daniel Craig’s successor has been named and we will actually see the code name 007 get passed down from one Bond to the next when the 25th James Bond film hits theaters next year. While it’s not surprising that Craig is done with the role, many people will be surprised at who will be slipping into the Astin Martin.

There have been rumors for a few years now about the next James Bond being black, with many rooting for Idris Elba to take the role, but most fans were not expecting the next Bond to be both black and female. However, the Mail is reporting that it’s the case with Captain Marvel co-star Lashana Lynch reportedly being handed the mantle of 007 by Craig during the events of Bond 25.

The real question is whether or not this is a permanent switch or a plot device to get the story rolling. It’s already been reported that the film will start after the events of ‘Spectre’, with Craig’s Bond having retired to Jamaica. I could very easily see Lynch being his replacement and then getting killed, forcing him to come back and save the day.

If this is the case, it would go down as one of the most cynical moves in the history of the movie industry. We live in an environment where people are looking for reasons to rage over representation. We just spent a week and a half of people arguing about the scientific validity of having a black mermaid after Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel in Disney’s Little Mermaid remake. There are several points for and against making such a major change to Bond.

On one side, you’ve got the fact that it would be a major franchise role for a black female, something that there’s far too little of. On the other side is the question of whether it is such a drastic change that it undercuts the idea of 007. It’s a shame that Hollywood has seemingly given up the idea of creating strong new characters when they can just take the easy way out and re-tread the old ones.

With all of that said, if we go through the internet rage (on both sides) about the next 007 being a black woman only to have her be a plot device that gets killed off in the first act of the film, then we will have seen a movie studio manipulate and further dividing the public by using race as a cheap way to get clickable articles in the press and potentially more tickets sold at the box office.