Can’t James Bond Be A Woman? Helen Mirren Explains Why 007 Can Only Be A Man And The Reason Will Leave You Speechless

Legendary actress Helen Mirren has made a bold statement in regard to the subject that has been increasingly generated in the Hollywood community and the world generally, about the future of the James Bond franchise. With her rather feminist leanings, Mirren has twice said that the legendary spy must be a man, a woman in that role simply does not work.

Her opinion, expressed in a recent interview, brings to the debate an important and non-hysterical voice to that which has seen both sides being argued. Mirren affirms that women could certainly be spies, in most cases being more realistic than Bond, but that the character does still harken back to a very specific, male image. 

Turning his gender would therefore be, to her, altering the sense of character so fundamentally that it would cease to be that character; in altering gender, she argues, the series becomes something different entirely.

The Character’s Core Identity

The discussion of a female Bond usually forgets that the character has a mission and an identity that is far from being similar to a male Blue. James Bond, as Ian Fleming envisioned him, is a particular man with a particular history. The suave, well-heeled gentleman is a creation of a particular masculinity of the British post-war, with his luxuries, style and an air of chauvinistic indifference. His liaisons with females, his bad habits and even the way he goes about are all closely quilted to his male body.

The franchise, as Mirren notes, is in a sense wet and was born of a deep sexism, a historical context that frames the character whether positively or negatively. A woman in the role would not only be forced to follow in the footsteps of these traits, but she would then have to walk through such a problematic historical practice in a manner in which it would change the base narrative of the character. It would cease to be James Bond, but something a little different by name only.

A Call for Original Female Spies

Rather than sticking with an established character who just happens to be a woman, Mirren argues in favor of innovating original and new tales of women who are spies. She tells about numerous courageous and talented women, who have served in actual secret services and their stories deserve publication. This practice will escape the risk of attempting to accommodate a novel idea in a traditional frame.

It can give rise to more complex female characters, with their own past, motives and mode of action, without being limited by the developed legacy of Bond. Production of new heroines would allow the film industry to develop in a genuinely progressive direction, not as opposed to a shortcut of rebooting and reimagining, which all too frequently act as a pathway to contemporary relevance.

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