Barbara Broccoli has spoken...

'James Bond' Producer Says Character "Is Male"

In a recent interview, long-time James Bond producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli have stated that the iconic secret agent "is male" and that he will remain so for the foreseeable future...

Long-time James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson sat down with Variety recently for a rare interview and talked about the upcoming 25th installment of the movie series No Time To Die as well as the overall future of the franchise.

In the interview, Broccoli also addressed the current discussion concerning the successor to Daniel Craig, who's played the MI-6 agent for five consecutive movies and will make his last appearance in No Time To Die.

Specifically the question of "007's" gender had fans all over the world divided in recent months. Could the new "James Bond" be played by a female actor? The rumors were fueled when the first trailer for No Time To Die revealed that Lashana Lynch's character was a "00" agent in the MI-6.

James Bond producer Broccoli says character "is male"

Barbara Broccoli has now put an end to that discussion with a clear statement. "He can be of any color, but he is male," Broccoli said while talking to Variety.

"I believe we should be creating new characters for women — strong female characters," Broccoli continued. "I'm not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that."

James Bond: Who will be Daniel Craig's successor?

Wilson also talked about the man who will succeed Daniel Craig in the iconic role. "You think of him as being from Britain or the Commonwealth, but Britain is a very diverse place," Wilson says.

It looks like the two are widening their search from the usual suspects- previously, actors like Idris Elba and Richard Madden have been linked to the role.

No Time To Die will be released in the UK on April 2nd and on April 10th in the US.