Oceans of digital ink have already been spilled about Denis Villeneuve‘s new James Bond movie, and especially about who will play the lead character. With previous Bond Daniel Craig having left the series dramatically at the climax of No Time to Die, there’s a vacancy for cinema’s top secret agent, and fan castings have been inescapable.
Now, Debbie McWilliams, who headed up the casting for every Bond movie since 1981’s For Your Eyes Only before retiring, is weighing in on the subject. While she won’t be part of the casting process this time, she still has strong opinions about the role, having had a hand in selecting previous Bonds, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Craig.
McWilliams recently spoke at the Karlovy Film Festival in Czechia at a panel moderated by Variety. There, she asserted that she believes the character should remain a white man, as he’s traditionally been portrayed: “Ian Fleming wrote a character, and that’s the character that stays. That’s what I think. I mean, other people might think otherwise, but I don’t think that.” The most important characteristic for McWilliams, however, is the danger Bond represents: “…part of his job description is ‘license to kill,’ so you’ve got to think that he could pick a gun up and shoot you…he’s got to have a kind of threat about him.”
Which Action Hero Would Be
YourPerfect Partner?
Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn’t work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
Rambo
James Bond
Indiana Jones
John McClane
Ethan Hunt
01
You’re dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner?
The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel?
How you get there is half the mission.
03
You’re pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do?
This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest?
Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission?
Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.





