Dame Helen Mirren has declared that James Bond must remain a male character, insisting that casting a woman in the iconic role “just doesn’t work” despite describing herself as “such a feminist”.
The Oscar-winning actress, 80, made the comments in a new interview with Saga Magazine whilst promoting her upcoming film The Thursday Murder Club, in which she stars opposite former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan. Her stance comes as Amazon MGM Studios prepares to take the franchise in a “fresh” direction after gaining creative control from the Broccoli family in a deal worth a reported £1 billion.
“I’m such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy. You can’t have a woman. It just doesn’t work,” Dame Helen told the magazine. “James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.”
Former 007 Brosnan Backs Male-Only Bond
The actress’s Thursday Murder Club co-star Pierce Brosnan, who played the suave spy in four films between 1995 and 2002, echoed her sentiments. The 72-year-old Irish actor told Saga Magazine: “Oh, I think it has to be a man.”
Brosnan, who starred in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, expressed excitement about the franchise’s future under new leadership. “I’m so excited to see the next man come on the stage and to see a whole new exuberance and life for this character,” he said.
The former Bond added: “I adore the world of James Bond. It’s been very good to me. It’s the gift that keeps giving. And I’m just a member of the audience now, sitting back, saying: ‘Show us what you’re going to do.'”
Amazon’s Billion-Pound Takeover
The debate over Bond’s gender comes at a pivotal moment for the franchise. In February 2025, Amazon MGM Studios announced it had formed a joint venture with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, gaining creative control of the spy series after reportedly paying an additional £1 billion on top of the £6.8 billion ($8.5 billion) it spent acquiring MGM in 2022.
The deal marks the end of the Broccoli family’s 60-year creative reign over Bond, which began when Albert “Cubby” Broccoli secured the rights to Ian Fleming’s novels and produced 1962’s Dr. No. His children Barbara and Michael inherited control in 1995 and have fiercely protected the franchise’s cinematic legacy ever since.
Sources close to the negotiations revealed that Barbara Broccoli, 64, had grown “tired of fighting” with Amazon over the studio’s desire to expand Bond into a Marvel-style universe with multiple spin-offs and streaming series. The producer, who once declared she would rather see Bond “rest” than be exploited, ultimately agreed to step back alongside her half-brother Wilson, 82, who is retiring from the films.
Barbara and I agree, it is time for our trusted partner, Amazon MGM Studios, to lead James Bond into the future,” Wilson said in a statement announcing the deal.
Hollywood Stars Unite Against Female Bond
Dame Helen and Brosnan are not the first high-profile figures to push back against the idea of a female 007. At the Cannes Film Festival in May 2025, Halle Berry, who played NSA agent Jinx Johnson in Die Another Day, expressed similar reservations.
“In 2025, it’s nice to say, ‘Oh, she should be a woman.’ But, I don’t really know if I think that’s the right thing to do,” Berry told reporters on the Croisette.
The debate has raged ever since Daniel Craig announced he was hanging up his Walther PPK after 2021’s No Time to Die. Speculation about a female Bond intensified when Lashana Lynch played 007 agent Nomi in Craig’s final outing, though she was not technically James Bond himself.
Dame Helen’s Complex Bond History
Dame Helen’s position on Bond is particularly intriguing given her previous criticism of the franchise’s treatment of women. She has described the “whole concept of James Bond” as being “drenched and born out of profound sexism”, whilst acknowledging that “women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service”.
In her new film The Thursday Murder Club, directed by Harry Potter filmmaker Chris Columbus, Dame Helen plays Elizabeth, a retired spy who leads a group of pensioners solving cold cases. When asked if her character represents a more realistic portrayal of espionage than Bond, she replied: “More realistic. But not so much fun as Bond!”
“So many women have worked in that world. She’s a manifestation of a reality, that’s for sure,” the actress explained, before adding the crucial caveat about entertainment value.
The Next Chapter for 007
With creative control now in Amazon’s hands, speculation about the next James Bond has reached fever pitch. British actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton remain bookmakers’ favourites, though insider reports suggest Amazon is keen on casting a British actor under 30, with names like Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland and Harris Dickinson reportedly on the wish list.
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has been confirmed to write the screenplay for the 26th Bond film, with reports suggesting Dune director Denis Villeneuve is being courted to direct. However, no official announcements have been made about casting, and sources indicate filming is at least a year away.
The change in leadership opens possibilities that were previously off-limits under the Broccolis’ stewardship. Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan, who both expressed interest in directing Bond but required complete creative control, could now potentially be approached. Amazon can also finally pursue long-discussed spin-offs, including a once-conceived film about Halle Berry’s Jinx character.
Preserving Bond’s Legacy
Despite the corporate takeover, Mike Hopkins, head of Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios, has pledged to honour the character’s heritage. “We are grateful to the late Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman for bringing James Bond to movie theatres around the world,” Hopkins said in a statement.
The studio has previously stated it plans a “fresh” take on the franchise whilst respecting the “legacy” of the “iconic character. Crucially for cinema purists, Amazon has committed to theatrical releases for Bond films rather than relegating 007 to streaming exclusivity.
However, concerns remain about potential over-saturation. One senior British film executive warned: “Without Barbara’s careful supervision, Bond just becomes Jack Reacher in some TV show.
As Hollywood awaits Amazon’s first moves with their billion-pound baby, Dame Helen’s words serve as a reminder that whilst times change, some traditions – like a male James Bond ordering his martini shaken, not stirred – might be worth preserving.
The Thursday Murder Club arrives on Netflix on 28 August 2025, giving audiences a chance to see Dame Helen’s take on British espionage, even if she’ll never get her licence to kill.
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Image Credit (Shortened):
Helen Mirren at the Berlinale 2020 (photo taken 27 February 2020) – by Harald Krichel, licensed under CC BY‑SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
