New James Bond Can't Be a Woman, Declares Leading 007 Casting Boss

James Bond should remain the character Ian Fleming created and should not be reimagined as a woman, according to longtime 007 casting director Debbie McWilliams, who has dismissed suggestions the next incarnation of the British spy should fundamentally alter the role's identity.

OK! can reveal McWilliams, who cast the last 14 Bond films before retiring ahead of Amazon's acquisition of the franchise, made the remarks during a question-and-answer session at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival in the Czech Republic.

The veteran casting director, who worked alongside producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson on generations of Bond films starring Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and most recently Daniel Craig, said she believed the character should remain faithful to Fleming's original vision, even as speculation continues over who will inherit the role in the next film.

Casting duties for the 007 franchise now fall to Nina Gold and director Denis Villeneuve.

Asked whether Bond should ever be portrayed by a woman or an actor of color, McWilliams said: "Not in my opinion. No."

Explaining her position, she added: "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."

Although McWilliams no longer has any involvement in selecting Craig's successor, her comments carry weight after more than four decades working on the franchise.

During the discussion, she also reflected on the qualities she believed defined a convincing Bond, arguing the role has always demanded more than charm or sophistication.

She said: "Well, I mean, I've said this several times before, but 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."

Comparing previous Bond actors, McWilliams suggested each brought different strengths to the role.

She said: "So he's got to have a kind of threat about him, you know. I'm not sure that Pierce Brosnan had that particularly, but he kind of embodied a different side of him. He was very good looking and suave, and all the rest of it. And Daniel sort of changed that somewhat into the fact that you, you know... he was much tougher."

McWilliams rejected the idea there is a single formula for casting the iconic spy, arguing every creative team approaches the character differently.

She said there is "no set rule," adding "it's whoever fits the bill, frankly."

The casting veteran also suggested the series could be heading into unfamiliar territory under its new ownership, while acknowledging she does not influence its future direction.

McWilliams added: "And it will be different for different directors and different producers. And, you know, it's about to change dramatically, is all I can say. And I'm not sure whether I'll be paying my money to go and see it or not. But there isn't an easy answer to that question."

The Bond franchise entered a new era after Amazon recently gained creative control of the long-running series, ending the stewardship of Broccoli and Wilson.

With Villeneuve preparing the next instalment and Gold overseeing casting, attention remains fixed on who will succeed Craig following his final appearance in No Time To Die.

McWilliams' comments are also likely to fuel renewed debate over whether the world's most famous fictional spy should evolve with changing expectations or remain closely aligned with Fleming's original creation.