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Credit: Inside the MagicThe new James Bond actor has been revealed; however, there has been some backlash about diversity in the upcoming 007 reboot.
The next James Bond film is in development, having recently landed director Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049, Dune, Dune: Part Two) and Peaky Blinders writer Steven Knight. But there’s another reboot in the works, and, where the gaming side of the Bond franchise is concerned, it’s shaping up to be the biggest entry since 1997’s “GoldenEye.”
“GoldenEye,” released on the Nintendo 64 in 1997, was a global pop culture phenomenon. Based on the 1995 Pierce Brosnan-starring Bond film of the same name, the first-person shooter remains a cornerstone of gaming classics. Though there have been many 007 games in the decades since, none have lived up to the brilliance and timelessness of the 1997 shooter. But the upcoming game “007 First Light” could change that.
Related: The Next ‘James Bond’ Actor Has Finally Been Named, as Reboot Eyes 2026 Release
The announcement trailer for the new game dropped just a couple of months ago, and longtime Bond fans and gamers alike have been buzzing with excitement since.
The third-person game centers on a James Bond origin story similar to the Daniel Craig era-opener Casino Royale (2006). “007 First Light is a thrilling narrative action-adventure game developed and published by IO Interactive,” the website‘s description for the game reads.
“Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful, and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program, and discover an origin story of the world’s most famous spy.”
Watch the official trailer for “007 First Light” below:
IO Interactive has yet to confirm who’s playing James Bond in the game, however, it has been revealed elsewhere that it’s Irish actor Patrick Gibson, who plays the younger version of fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan in the Paramount+ series Dexter: Original Sin (2024).
Related: Meet the New James Bond in the Upcoming ‘007’ Reboot
As for who will play Bond in the film reboot, that’s classified. Names like Henry Golding (Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins), Theo James (Divergent), and (Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) are now swirling online, but no one is confirmed yet.
Idris Elba (Hobbs & Shaw), on the other hand, has been circulating for years. However, a small number of fans continue to oppose the idea of an actor of color portraying the iconic MI6 agent, who has so far been played by White actors across both games and films.
Now, some fans are complaining on X (Twitter) about a supporting character in the upcoming video game: M, the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service for MI6, who was played by Dame Judi Dench in both the Brosnan and Craig-led Bond eras.
While we also don’t know who’s playing M, the trailer reveals that she’s portrayed by an actor of color.
Here are a few examples of how some fans have reacted to the game’s diverse casting:
Me after watching the new 007 First Light trailer and saw that they turn M into an Indian woman and Tanner into a Black dude:
Me after watching the new 007 First Light trailer and saw that they turn M into an Indian woman and Tanner into a Black dude: pic.twitter.com/TsMxhbLvkR
— Kanes Limpchalerm (@ka_ka_kanes) June 5, 2025
Not gonna lie I need my M to be a old white British lady f**k Tanner tho
Not gonna lie I need my M to be a old white British lady 😂😂 fuck Tanner tho
— Donnie McLurkin 🧎🏿♀️➡️ 👀 (@theatrefordogs) June 7, 2025
This is a great litmus test. If you don’t consider this “woke”, you have slave mentality. Indians and Africans are not British. This is not negotiable. Also, “First Light” is such a gay title. They didn’t even try to come up with a title that sounds like a 007 book or film.
This is a great litmus test. If you don’t consider this “woke”, you have slave mentality. Indians and Africans are not British. This is not negotiable. Also, “First Light” is such a gay title. They didn’t even try to come up with a title that sounds like a 007 book or film. https://t.co/8pXTUKEqpw
— Trip Larsen (@TripLarsen) June 4, 2025
In a recent interview with RadioTimes.com, IO franchise director Jonathan Lacaille said that, like Bond, female characters like M will also have something of an origin story in the game. And, like Bond’s origins, M’s is likely just as flexible.
However, what these fans may not realize is that, like “007,” “M” is nothing more than a designation or codename given to whomever is the chief of the 00 initiative. Before Dench appeared as M in GoldenEye (1995), John Bernard Lee and Robert Brown filled the role.
After Dench’s departure in Skyfall (2012), Ralph Fiennes took up the mantle of M. Either way, the character has always been portrayed by White actors in the films, which makes M’s casting in “First Light” refreshingly diverse.
Another character who appears in the trailer is Bond’s mentor John Greenway, portrayed by Lennie James, best known for playing Morgan in AMC’s hit series The Walking Dead.
“007 First Light” will be released on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows sometime in 2026.
There’s no release date for the new Bond film.
Who do you think is playing Bond in the new game? What about the new film? Let us know in the comments!