Helen Mirren ruled out a female James Bond
Veteran actress Helen Mirren has said she does not believe women should play James Bond, even as discussions continue about who will be the next 007 agent, reported Deadline.
Promoting her new film Thursday Murder Club, where she stars alongside former Bond actor Pierce Brosnan, Mirren explained that the iconic role should remain male. She said that despite being a feminist, “James Bond has to be a guy. You can't have a woman. It just doesn't work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.”
Pierce Brosnan, who carried the mantle of James Bond through four films between 1995 and 2002, also reflected on the future of the franchise. While he did not weigh in on the debate over whether Bond should be played by a woman, he expressed excitement and curiosity about who would take on the iconic role next.
Brosnan noted that the character of Bond still carries a sense of “life and exuberance,” even after six decades on screen. He said he was eager to see how the new actor would reinterpret 007 for a modern audience and what fresh energy they would bring to the role.
Speaking warmly about his own experience, Brosnan described the Bond franchise as “the gift that keeps giving.” He acknowledged how much the role had shaped his career and opened opportunities, calling it a defining chapter of his life. At the same time, he emphasized that his time as Bond was behind him, and he now viewed the series as an enthusiastic spectator.
“I adore the world of James Bond. It's been very good to me,” he said, adding that he was now content to sit among audiences, waiting to be surprised by the creative direction the filmmakers would choose. For Brosnan, the enduring appeal of the spy is not just in the actor who plays him but in the ability of each new film to reinvent Bond while keeping the essence of the character alive.
Helen Mirren has spoken before about the deeper issues tied to the James Bond character. In one of her earlier interviews, she remarked that Bond as a figure was “drenched and born out of profound sexism.” She explained that the character was a product of his time, built on a worldview where women were often reduced to glamorous companions or love interests.
At the same time, Mirren stressed that this should not overshadow the real contributions of women in the intelligence community. She pointed out that women have always played critical roles in the Secret Service and other intelligence networks, often showing extraordinary bravery and skill.
To underline her point, Mirren recalled the courage of women in the French Resistance during World War II, calling their work “amazingly, unbelievably courageous.” She suggested that filmmakers and storytellers should focus on these real-life female operatives whose stories are often left untold. According to her, creating films based on such figures would both honour women’s contributions and bring authenticity to the genre, instead of trying to reimagine James Bond as a female character.
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