Dame Helen Mirren has stirred fresh debate over the James Bond franchise. In a recent interview with Saga magazine, the acclaimed actress, who describes herself as “such a feminist”, declared firmly: “James Bond has to be a guy. You can’t have a woman. It just doesn’t work.”
She added, “James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.”
Mirren, known for her powerful and trailblazing roles, contrasted her recent portrayal of a retired spy in The Thursday Murder Club with Bond’s more glamorous world. She acknowledged the bravery of real women in intelligence roles while arguing that Bond is by nature a stylised, male‑centric figure.
In March, Mirren called the Bond series “born out of profound sexism,” explaining that she had never been a fan, not least because of how women are depicted in the films.
She urged filmmakers to turn instead to stories about real-life female spies: “Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service… amazingly, unbelievably courageous.”
Joining Mirren in reaffirming Bond’s masculinity, her co-star and ex‑007, Pierce Brosnan, echoed her sentiments. After praising Mirren’s candour, he said he’s “excited to see the next man come on the stage… a whole new exuberance and life for this character.”
Not everyone agrees with keeping Bond strictly male. Guardian columnist Zoe Williams challenged the idea that Bond’s defining qualities, charisma, patriotism, fearlessness, are inherently male, daring instead to imagine a more gender‑fluid future for the character.
Meanwhile, Ana de Armas, who played Paloma in No Time to Die, promoted creating original female‑led action films rather than gender‑swapping iconic characters like Bond.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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