(Photo: MGM)
The debate over who should take up the mantle as the seventh James Bond has raged for some time. Long before Daniel Craig even retired from the role, fans worldwide were eagerly nominating their ideal candidates. At the same time, some worried that in an effort to follow certain modern trends, the character might be changed to a woman or a person of color, destroying his original charm and image.
For the most part, Western audiences and the entertainment industry have largely opposed the idea of a female Bond. Many actresses, and even Craig himself, have gone on record stating that Bond should remain a man. Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli also gave assurances that Bond would always be male before selling creative control of the series to Amazon last month.
(Photo: MGM)
While we don't yet know how Amazon will interpret the new generation of Bond, it's clear they will respect the character's male identity. The Daily Mail recently reported on an internal Amazon memo circulated last week, which explicitly states that Bond's gender and nationality will not be changed. The character must be male and must be British or from a Commonwealth country. The Daily Mail's source also noted that Broccoli made preserving Bond's British heritage a condition of the sale, which Amazon agreed to before she signed off on the deal.
Pierce Brosnan, the fifth actor to portray Bond, also told The Telegraph in a recent interview that the character should not be American and must remain British. Brosnan added that it must have taken great courage for Broccoli to decide to let go and that he hopes Amazon will handle the Bond franchise with respect.
via： Daily Mail The Telegraph