Here’s Why It’s Time for a James Bond Who’s Bisexual
Six actors have portrayed James Bond across a total of 25 movies. Daniel Craig is the most recent actor to take on the role, but his time is coming to an end. No Time to Die marks his fifth and final portrayal of the legendary character. As a result, there has been a lot of chatter regarding who should be the next actor to play Bond. The franchise producers have their work cut out for them to replace Craig, but this is their opportunity to really think outside of the box. The next Bond should be bisexual and here’s why.
James Bond has historically had a signature look
Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan all follow a certain look. They’re clean-cut, British, tall, white men with dark hair. Each actor brings their own style to Bond, but the franchise’s fans enjoyed the iconic look that they brought to the silver screen.
Some critics immediately dismissed Craig’s blonde hair and blue-eyed-Bond when the casting news was announced. 2006’s Casino Royale turned many skeptics into believers, but there are still some folks who don’t like the look and feel that Craig brings to the role. Nevertheless, No Time to Die is Craig’s final outing and a new actor will take the mantle. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that we should go back to the previous trend.
The next James Bond should be bisexual
Ian Fleming’s Bond is described in a certain fashion: tall, athletic, handsome, and is in his 30s or 40s. He tends to drink, smoke, gamble, and is a frequent womanizer. Craig’s Bond has already gone in its own direction. Some of these attributes still hold true, but especially No Time to Die downplays the womanizer element. But, why can’t there be “Bond girls” and “Bond boys”?
By making the next Bond bisexual, it allows for more dimension to the character. Bisexual representation is severely lacking in mainstream cinema. Hollywood treats sexuality and gender in similar, binary ways. Characters are men or women. Similarly, they are straight or gay, but typically straight and male when it comes to action movies. Bond is an excellent opportunity to explore sexuality through the perspective of a more mature, bisexual man that dispels the false perception that it’s a temporary sexuality for folks who are unsure of who they’re attracted to.
Craig’s era has already shown its level of comfort with sexualizing Bond himself. Craig is more sexualized than the women in No Time to Die. He’s frequently shot in a way that’s very seductive and erotic, whereas earlier movies would have saved these scenes for the women.
Bond has the potential to better represent the real world. This means looking at actors with different racial and ethnic backgrounds as well.
The casting should consider unknown actors
The Bond fan base has already been throwing actor names around for who the next 007 should be. No announcements are going to be made in the near future to allow No Time to Die to be the most successful it can be and to allow Craig’s era to breathe. However, Idris Elba, Dev Patel, Regé-Jean Page, among other names have all been thrown out there. The Bond audition process is extensive, so whoever gets the part will have gone through thorough steps.
However, the decision-makers shouldn’t only consider bringing in a recognized actor. It would be beneficial to cast a newcomer who can become the new face of a new era. The franchise stands on its own and doesn’t need a big name attached to draw crowds into theater seats. This could launch one individual’s career and create a stronger brand for Bond.
Additionally, the actor should be a member of the LGBTQ community themself. Too many LGBTQ-identified actors have struggled to get roles, whether they’re playing straight or gay characters. But, if the casting welcomes newcomers, it avoids the issue of there not being as many well-known openly LGBTQ identified actors.
The next era of Bond has an opportunity to diversify its perspective and its storytelling. Craig’s Bond portrayal showed that straying from the formula can be successful. There will always be folks who are unhappy with the change, just like they were with Craig’s casting. However, they can always be proven wrong.
