Halle Berry Doesn’t Think James Bond Should Be Played By A Woman

In a new interview at Cannes, the Never Let Go star was asked the ever-persistent question: should 007 be a woman?

Her response was, “I don't know if 007 really should be a woman. I mean, you know, in 2025 it's nice to say, oh, she should be a woman, but I don't really know if I think that's the right thing to do.”

Berry, who played NSA agent Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson in Die Another Day, knows a thing or two about making an impact in the Bond universe. Back in 2002, she graced screens with that orange bikini scene next to Pierce Brosnan. There was even talk of a Jinx spinoff, which was serious enough that MGM considered it for a 2004 release before scrapping the whole thing.

“There was a time that that could have happened, probably should have happened. I would have loved for that to happen. But I think that time has passed,” Berry said.

And she’s not alone in her thinking. Daniel Craig, the last Bond, voiced a similar stance when he left the role. He didn’t think James needed a makeover; he wanted studios to write entirely new, meaty roles for women instead of awkwardly stuffing them into legacy suits. Ana de Armas, another Bond alum, echoed the sentiment. “Let James be James,” she said, adding that women bring something different to the screen that deserves its own lane, not a borrowed one.

Gemma Arterton, the Bond girl from Quantum of Solace, also said no to a female Bond, explaining, "You just have to respect the tradition."

Still, it’s easy to see why this debate keeps circling. Hollywood loves to recycle movies by gender-flipping iconic characters and modernizing them – whatever gets buzz. Berry’s comments weren’t about politics or pandering so much as they were about storytelling. The question is, will Hollywood finally listen?

Berry, of course, didn’t shut the door on strong female spies (I mean, she was one). But rather than slapping a new label on James Bond, she wanted Jinx to get her own franchise – and frankly, that ship might’ve sailed too early.

As for the future of Bond, Amazon now holds the reins after acquiring MGM, and producers are reportedly on the hunt for a man in his mid-30s to lock into a five-film contract. The wheel keeps turning, but it seems like the tide is turning too.  

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