For well over fifty years and over the course of twenty-four films, the James Bond franchise has given us hard-hitting action, nail-biting thrills, and truly unique characters. In addition to Bond himself (as played by six different actors) and the various nefarious villains, one of the franchise's distinctive trademarks is the Bond girl, who is typically an attractive love interest or sidekick who could either wind up as friend or foe. Some of the more memorable Bond girl's include DR. NO's Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), GOLDFINGER's Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), THUNDERBALL's Domino Vitali (Claudine Auger), ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE's Tracy Draco (Diana Rigg), THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN's Mary Goodnight (Britt Ekland), THE SPY WHO LOVED ME's Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach), A VIEW TO A KILL's May Day (Grace Jones), GOLDENEYE's Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), TOMORROW NEVER DIES' Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), CASINO ROYALE's Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), and many more.
Although Lea Seydoux, who played Dr. Madeleine Swann in SPECTRE, is reportedly set to return for Cary Fukunaga's BOND 25, she likely won't be the only Bond girl. According to Variety, Eon Productions are apparently looking for two other actresses – one who would play an MI6 agent who works with Bond and the other being a mystery woman.
Much like the last time we dipped a toe into the James Bond franchise for Cast This with The Next James Bond Villain, we'll be casting quite a wide net as there are an incredible number of actresses who could fit the bill of a Bond girl. It's more about who you would like to see appear in a Bond flick rather than someone fitting the particulars of a character.
Over the course of the franchise, Bond's romantic interests have typically been quite younger than the secret agent, sometimes by decades, so I'd love to see a future Bond girl fall into a more "age-appropriate" category. We got a taste of that in SPECTRE with Monica Bellucci, who is actually several years older than Daniel Craig, so at least one of my suggestions will follow Bellucci's lead. Let's get started! Although some may believe that husbands and wives acting together can be a little distracting, there are plenty who have been able to make it work throughout the history of cinema, so on that note, I'd love to see Craig's real-life wife, Rachel Weisz, take on a role in BOND 25. The actress isn't a stranger to action blockbusters (THE MUMMY), and has also been receiving quite a lot of critical praise, as well as number of major nominations, for her work on Yorgos Lanthimos's THE FAVOURITE. Another actress who I believe would be a wonderful addition to the James Bond franchise is Jessica Chastain (DARK PHOENIX), although she may be holding out for the villain role instead. "One of my goals is to play a villain in a Bond film," Chastain told W Magazine in 2015. "People ask me if I want to be a Bond girl, and I say, 'No, I want to be the villain'. I'm waiting for that call!" For my final suggestion, I'll go with Gugu Mbatha-Raw (A WRINKLE IN TIME).
Remember, you're free to suggest anyone in the comments, so let your inner casting director run wild!
Previously on Cast This, you were asked to fill the role of J. Jonah Jameson, the fast-talking publisher of The Daily Bugle who has it out for Spider-Man. Many of you were keen to see J.K. Simmons reprise the role if that were an option, but you also came through with some awesome suggestions of your own, including Jon Hamm (Mad Men), William H. Macy (Shameless), and John C. McGinley (Stan Against Evil).