Ben Whishaw says he doesn’t expect to play Q again in the next James Bond and the new movie will benefit from a new cast

Although the transfer of the James Bond character from lead actor to lead actor seemingly starts a new continuity, there is a slight tradition of supporting characters returning to reprise their roles. Dame Judy Dench bridged the Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig eras by carrying over as M. Desmond Llewelyn would portray the gadget genius Q throughout all the Bond eras until 2002’s Die Another Day. However, as we still sit on the cusp of development for the post-Daniel Craig James Bond films, Ben Whishaw does not think he will be asked back to play Q.

Deadline reports on Whishaw’s interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg when he said, “I don’t think I’m going to be in the next one. I think they’re going to start all over again, and with a new cast, a completely new cast. I think that’s my hunch, but I don’t know. I have no idea.” Whishaw would still be interested in returning if they did ask him to come back, but the actor thinks the new film should be a clean restart, “I think it might need a new lease of life and a whole new group of people,” he said. “But if they asked me, I would do it, of course.” 

While the rumors of Aaron Taylor-Johnson taking over the role have been circulating for quite some time, Edward Berger, the director of All Quiet on the Western Front, recently has been wanting to squash the rumors that he’s set to direct the next reboot. “That’s an absolute rumor. There’s no truth to it whatsoever. I would be very grateful if you put out that fire.”

Edward Berger went on to praise the woman behind the James Bond franchise, also acknowledging he has trust that she’ll choose the right director when the time comes. “Barbara Broccoli is a wonderful producer. She will know what to do at the right time, and it’s her family legacy. It’s her job to protect this and whatever choice she’s going to make is going to be the right choice for the legacy of that genre.” Last year, Broccoli said that the journey to reinventing the character hadn’t yet begun.