Former ‘Bond Girl’ trashes idea of female James Bond: ‘Like Mary Poppins being played by a man’

British actress Gemma Arterton doesn’t agree with the idea of a gender-swapped James Bond, thinking moviegoers would find it “outrageous.”

In a recent interview with UK outlet, The Times, Arterton pointed out that James Bond being portrayed as a woman is absurd on its face.

“Isn’t a female James Bond like Mary Poppins being played by a man?” she wondered. “They talk about it, but I think people would find it too outrageous.”

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Arterton played British Secret Service agent Strawberry Fields in 2008 Bond film “Quantum of Solace,” the second in the series to star Daniel Craig. She insisted that Hollywood should respect the legacy of the character and not opt for the change.

“Sometimes you just have to respect the tradition,” she said.

Remaking the titular character’s identity has been a popular topic in Hollywood circles in recent years, as producers have contemplated shaking up the franchise’s formula following Craig’s final turn as the spy in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”

Craig has weighed in on the thought, saying he doesn’t think Bond should be gender-swapped. Rather, he thinks a similar franchise with a female lead could be the approach. 

“Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?” he asked in an interview with Radio Times in 2021.

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Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has expressed openness to James Bond being played by an actor of a different race. Idris Elba, a British actor of African descent, was a long-time favorite to step into the legendary role, though he recently ruled out doing it.

However, Broccoli has poured cold water on the idea of a female James Bond. 

She told Variety in 2020, “He can be of any color, but he is male. I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters. I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that.”

In another interview, Broccoli did express openness to Bond identifying as “non-binary” and using they/them pronouns. 

When asked about that prospect on the “Girls On Film” podcast in 2021, Broccoli replied, “Who knows? I mean, I think it’s open. We just have to find the right actor.”

Others have even floated the idea of Bond being gay. During a press conference at the 2024 Venice Film Festival, a journalist asked Craig, “Do you think there could be a gay James Bond?”

The actor rolled his eyes at the question.

Arterton told The Times she’s confused why she’s still so associated with the “Bond Girl” title, given her role in the 2008 film was so minor – her character was killed just minutes after being introduced.

“I don’t regret doing a Bond film, but I am perplexed why it has followed me around. I was only in the film for five minutes,” she said.