Female James Bond Is the Only Option for Amazon MGM's 007 Reboot, New Report Suggests

According to a report from Radar Online, Amazon executives are struggling to find a way for their James Bond reboot to pick up where the latest movie, No Time to Die (2021), ended.

A source close to the production claims that “writers are tearing their hair out,” adding that “Bond didn’t just vanish off a cliff or fake his death – he was blown to pieces on screen,” and that “everyone agrees it was a massive mistake because Bond is supposed to be eternal.”

The report goes on to say that “they are now stuck trying to find a believable way to resurrect him, and it is proving almost impossible.”

Isn’t the Next 007 Film Supposed To Be a Complete Reboot?

What’s confusing about this report is that the new film, which is being helmed by director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049 and the recent Dune films) with a screenplay from Steven Knight (the creator of Peaky Blinders), has been officially positioned as a complete wiping-of-the-slate reboot with a new actor set to take up the mantle of James Bond.

This means that whoever ends up donning the iconic tux and picking up the Walther PPK next will officially replace Daniel Craig, whose 007 tenure spanned five films: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015), and No Time to Die.

Related: Meet the New James Bond in the Upcoming ‘007’ Reboot

The James Bond Timelines Are Confusing

Historically, whenever a new actor has been cast as Bond, their debut film essentially erases the previous continuity. Although perhaps it’s never been that straightforward.

After five consecutive appearances in Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), and You Only Live Twice (1967), Sean Connery would hand the reins to one-time Bond actor George Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969).

However, Connery would return in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), and then again in Never Say Never Again (1983) — although that film isn’t considered an official James Bond entry as it wasn’t produced by Eon Productions like the other 25 were.

Either way, does this mean that Lazenby’s 1969 outing is part of Connery’s timeline and merely featured a temporary recast?

Related: New James Bond Breaks Silence on Landing 007 Role in Upcoming Reboot

Things get even murkier when you consider Dame Judi Dench’s involvement in the films. She portrayed M in all four installments of the Pierce Brosnan era: GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002). However, she reprised her role as the same character in the Daniel Craig films.

Bernard Lee, the M actor who preceded Dench, also spans more than one Bond timeline, as does Q actor Desmond Llewelyn. The point is that, while each new 007 actor seemingly resets the timeline, that may not necessarily be the case. As such, could Amazon MGM’s Bond reboot be a continuation of the Daniel Craig films?

If so, how will it bring the MI6 agent back from the dead? He was, after all, unequivocally killed off at the end of No Time to Die. Well, if the report is indeed true, therein lies the problem. But even if the studio and/or filmmakers figure out a clever way of explaining that he somehow cheated death, he wouldn’t be played by the same actor anyway.

A Female James Bond Is the Only Logical Option (If It’s the Daniel Craig Timeline)

The biggest problem is that a resurrection would totally undermine the 2021 film’s emotionally-charged and poignant ending.

If the Amazon execs really are “stuck”, then one way out of this mess would be to continue 007’s legacy through Mathilde (played in No Time to Die by Lisa-Dorah Sonnet), the daughter Bond shares with Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux). At the end of the film, Madeleine begins to tell Mathilde the story of her father, starting with a paraphrase of that iconic line, “His name was Bond… James Bond”.

Could Mathilde end up becoming the female version of James Bond that has dominated headlines in recent years? As controversial as it would be, at least it would feel more organic, especially seeing as she’s Bond’s daughter.

Alternatively, the filmmakers could hand over the 007 moniker to a new character entirely, in the same way that the 2021 film temporarily assigned it to Lashana Lynch’s Nomi.

With all that said, this news is best taken with a huge pinch of salt, because the filmmakers are reportedly on the lookout for an actor in their late 20s or early 30s to play the new Bond, according to Deadline, which is completely at odds with this new rumor.

Would you rather see the Daniel Craig films continue or reset? Let us know what you think in the comments below!