Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star Jenna Ortega isn’t interested in a female James Bond: “We should have our own… I want to see another badass.”
Now that Daniel Craig has hung up his Walther PPK, we’re on the cusp of yet another actor being tapped to play James Bond. Some believe that the time has come for a woman to play the role, but Jenna Ortega isn’t a fan of that idea, saying Hollywood should develop more original female badasses.
“I love that there’s a lot more female leads nowadays,” the Beetlejuice Beetlejuice star told MTV. “I think that’s so special, but we should have our own. I don’t like it when it’s like a spinoff — I don’t want to see like ‘Jamie Bond.’ You know? I want to see another badass.“
While there are plenty who would support the idea of a female James Bond, there are just as many who think the character should remain a man. Ana de Armas, who played CIA agent Paloma in No Time to Die, also believes that Bond shouldn’t be a woman. “There’s no need for a female Bond,” she said in 2022. “There shouldn’t be any need to steal someone else’s character, you know, to take over.” However, the actress did say that female characters in future James Bond movies could be more substantial. “What I would like is that the female roles in the Bond films, even though Bond will continue to be a man, are brought to life in a different way,” she said. “That they’re given a more substantial part and recognition. That’s what I think is more interesting than flipping things.“
Franchise producer Barbara Broccoli has previously stated that she doesn’t believe James Bond should be played by a woman either. “I think it will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond,” Broccoli said. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles. I don’t think there are enough great roles for women, and it’s very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].”
Jenna Ortega will next be seen in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which will be released overseas on September 4th, followed by a U.S. release on September 6th.