Daniel Craig has explained why he doesn't think James Bond should be played by a woman, and offered an alternative idea that involves creating and more diverse roles. Craig stars as 007 for the final time in the upcoming No Time to Die, the 25th film in the Bond franchise. Craig’s swansong, which stars Rami Malek as the villainous Safin, has been delayed time and again due to the coronavirus pandemic, but will finally hit cinemas this October. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga with a runtime clocking in at two hours and 43 minutes, No Time to Die will be the longest movie Bond yet.

The topic of which actor is fit to take on the role of world's most famous British secret agent has been gaining traction in recent years. Since Bond has always been portrayed by a white male actor, the discussion of Craig's successor has often centered around whether the character could next be played by a woman, a person of color, or both. Recently, Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page has been linked with the role, alongside numerous others. Idris Elba has also long been touted as Craig's successor and the first Black actor to take on the Bond role.

Related: Daniel Craig's No Time To Die Script Comments Show How Difficult Bond Is Now

In interview with Radio Times, when asked whether he supported a more diverse version of Bond, Craig offered his view. Craig explained why he doesn't see the need for a woman to play the iconic character, when filmmakers should be creating new and different female roles that are just as interesting. The actor argued there should simply be "better" parts available to both women and actors of color. Read Craig's comments below:

“The answer to that is very simple ... There should simply be better parts for women and actors of colour. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?”

Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas standing at a bar in No Time to Die

Interestingly, Craig himself was subject to backlash from fans when he was cast in the role for 2006's Casino Royale. This wasn’t due to his ethnicity or gender, but due to his hair color, stature and height. A fan campaign was established to have the producers cast someone who looked more traditionally like Bond. Once audiences saw Craig's performance, however, these criticisms swiftly fell away, which speaks to a hope that the pushback to casting a person of color or a woman in the role may die down soon, too. Craig also seems to have shifted his stance on the topic of who should, or could, play 007. In 2019, during the press launch for No Time To Die, Craig stated that he believed everybody, regardless of race or gender, should be considered for the role. However, the actor is no stranger to changing his mind during the shooting and promoting of Bond films. Craig remarked after 2015’s Spectre that he would rather "slash my wrists" than play Bond again, before announcing he would return for one final time as 007.

The notion of updating Bond to keep the character aligned with modern audiences isn’t new, and his behavior has certainly undergone a change from the more brazen sexism of the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era. Even in Pierce Brosnan’s first outing, GoldenEye (1995), Judi Dench’s M pointedly refers to 007 as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the cold war." But the question of who should or could play Bond is a bigger, more important one. Actress Lashana Lynch technically becomes the first Black female 007 in No Time To Die, inheriting the designation after Bond resigns from the British Secret Service. As Craig steps away from the role, the job of recasting Bond falls to producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. Whether they will agree with Craig on who should be handed the keys to Bond's iconic Aston Martin remains to be seen.

Next: Why A Female James Bond Is So Controversial (& Why It Doesn't Really Matter)

Source: Radio Times