Published on 04:04 PM, September 22, 2021

Daniel Craig asks, ‘why should a woman play James Bond?’

Daniel Craig. Photo: Reuters

Hollywood star Daniel Craig recently weighed in on the female-James Bond debate. The actor questioned the need for the change up.

For years now, fans of the franchise have debated if a woman should be brought in to play the famous spy in the movies, as Daniel prepares for his final 007 movie, "No Time To Die".  He, however, believes that women deserve 'just as good' roles to be written for them.

Speaking to Radio Times, Daniel said, "There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour". He asked, "Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"

Daniel's co-star from "No Time To Die", Lashana Lynch, however, had a different take. She told The Guardian earlier this month that the next Bond can be anyone: a man or woman, a young or old person, from any race.

"We are in a place in time where the industry is not just giving audiences what it thinks the audience wants. They're actually giving the audience what they want to give the audience. With Bond, it could be a man or woman. They could be white, black, Asian, mixed race. They could be young or old. At the end of the day, even if a two-year-old was playing Bond, everyone would flock to the cinema to see what this two-year-old's gonna do, no?" she said.

While a woman may or may not be the next Bond, actors Tom Hardy, Idris Elba and Tom Hiddleston are still frequently mentioned among the candidates for the role.

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, "No Time To Die" also stars Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Jeffery Wright, Christoph Waltz, and Ralph Fiennes.