When it comes to changing up the ethnicity of James Bond, John Boyega is skeptical that a Black 007 will appear in theaters any time soon.
"You as a white man live in a society where you grew up with Bond as a white man and that’s normal," the Star Wars star said to Josh Horowitz on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, responding to a question about ongoing rumors that the next Bond would be portrayed by a Black British actor like himself. "That’s normal to you. Even the mention of a Black Bond to me is like, ‘Oh, OK.' You know, I'm just like here like, okay, I don’t necessarily believe that, but if that’s what they’re doing then, okay, that is very surprising to me."
Boyega added that he ultimately wasn't privy to the talks that 007's producers were having about the franchise's next direction. "As an actor you just kind of stay out of that conversation," he said. "If it's for you, then maybe, but if it's not then you enjoy it in a movie theater like everyone else."
James Bond's Evolution
Following Daniel Craig's retirement from the Bond role with 2021's No Time To Die, a film that ended with 007 dying in an explosion, rumors have circulated about the character's future. Reports suggest that Bond's producers are looking for an actor in their 30s to restart the franchise, and a wide variety of names from Henry Cavill to Boyega himself have floated around social media. These rumors have often been accompanied by the persistent hope that the next Bond will be played by an actor of color. Idris Elba, often placed at the top of fan wishlists to portray 007, recently said that the role was "not a goal for [his] career."
Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said in June that it would be at least two years before the secret agent's next movie would even begin filming. She added that Bond would undergo a reinvention to keep up with the times, and there was no studio preference for a particular actor at this time.
"Nobody's in the running," Broccoli said. "We're working out where to go with him, we're talking that through. There isn't a script and we can't come up with one until we decide how we're going to approach the next film because, really, it's a reinvention of Bond. We're reinventing who he is and that takes time."
Source: Happy Sad Confused