Ben Whishaw has said the James Bond franchise needs to be “renewed” in order for it to live on.
The star played tech wizard Q in the last three 007 movies including the most recent film No Time To Die.
Speaking in a new interview with the Radio Times, he was asked how they can bring back 007 after Bond was killed and Daniel Craig exited the franchise.
“I was only contracted to do three films, and they’re done. How many films have they made – 25 or something? I think they have to keep renewing it if they want to keep going!” he said.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Snowfall‘s Damson Idris, Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, Happy Valley star James Norton and Henry Cavil are among the bookies favourites to replace Craig.
But previously Whishaw cited Luke Evans and Bridgerton star Jonathan Bailey as “ideal” candidates for the part and said that he would like a gay actor to play the next 007.
“Of course, I would like to see that,” he told Attitude in 2021. “I really believe that we should be working towards a world where anyone can play anything and it would be really thrilling if it didn’t matter about someone’s sexuality to take on a role like this.”
He continued: “I think that would be real progress. But we’ll see, we’ll just see where we’re at. I’m amazed by how much has changed in the last five or six years, so we’ll see.”
Meanwhile, Taylor-Johnson recently refused to deny rumours that he will be the next Bond.
Oppenheimer star David Dastmalchian also said he wants to star as the villain in the next movie.
Elsewhere, Daisy May Cooper recently responded to the rumours that she could be set to play M in the next 007 film.
Speaking exclusively to NME, the This Country star explained how the rumour first came about, before admitting that she’d happily take on the role of 007’s boss.
“I think it was on the radio… they were discussing who they want to be the next M and then somebody mentioned my name and from then it just went like fucking wildfires. I had the Daily Mail knocking at my parents’ door at night,” she said.
When we suggested that she’d be great as a younger, spunkier M after Judi Dench — or more recently Ralph Fiennes – she laughingly replied: “Yeah, give me a fucking part. Move over, Dench!”