First they said Tom Hiddleston, then it was Idris Elba. But in news that has come as a shock to James Bond fans and generally the world, it was revealed that longtime 007 Daniel Craig will officially pass the martini glass to 31-year-old black British actress Lashana Lynch.
Fresh off her most recent role as fighter pilot Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel, it was revealed to the Daily Mail that the new Bond heir would not just be a woman, but a woman of colour.
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And while this nod to diversity has enraged some (sexist) traditionalists, fans around the world are hailing the move as a step in the right direction.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge's rewrite of the script is the 25th installment of the Bond franchise, which is currently being shot in Italy and the UK. Fans will know that the spy retired at the end of Spectre and as the new movie opens, he will be living a life of luxury in Jamaica.
A movie insider said: "There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says: "Come in 007", and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman. It's a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he's been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman."
"Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don't work on a brilliant young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed. Well, certainly not at the beginning."
Originally from Hammersmith, West London, Lashana made her debut in the 2011 drama Fast Girls and has appeared in Silent Witness and Death in Paradise. She also played Rosaline Capulet in the American period drama series Still Star-Crossed, set after the deaths of Romeo and Juliet.
"Wow. Lashana Lynch is the next 007. She's not playing Bond, but will take over the code name. Brava, Phoebe Waller-Bridge for ushering in a new era where WoC can lead a spy series, like Sandra Oh in #KillingEve," tweeted scholar Nancy Wang Yuen.
"Nothing but love and respect to the new 007, queen lashana lynch," posted another fan.
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Sadly others aren't so happy with the news, with one man tweeting: "This is political correctness that's really taking the piss, why can't everyone accept that some things should be left as they are."
While there aren't many other details on the film yet, elsewhere it's been reported that Christoph Waltz has also reportedly been spotted on set, hinting at his return of his Spectre villain Blofeld. There are also rumblings that the movie is expected to premiere in April 2020, so we still have a little while to wait yet. We're more than sure it will be worth it.
Featured Image Credit: PA ImagesTopics: TV News, TV Entertainment, James Bond
