James Bond 25 May Have 'Captain Marvel' Co-Star Lashana Lynch In A Surprising Role
Hot on the heels of last week's revelation that Christoph Waltz would be back as the villainous Blofeld in the upcoming 25th installment of the long-running James Bond franchise, we have a wild rumor that has come to light about Lashana Lynch's role in the sequel. However, unlike some rumors, this one actually makes some sense. Since the report does potentially include some possible spoilers for James Bond 25, we'll have to dive into the details until after the jump. So proceed to read at your own risk!
There has been a lot of talk about who should play the next James Bond since Daniel Craig is supposed to be stepping down from the role after the upcoming 25th movie in the franchise. Idris Elba has been a popular contender, and while some have said a woman should step into the role of James Bond, franchise producer Barbara Broccoli says that they have no intention of having a female take over in the spy franchise. However, that's strictly for the role of James Bond. When it comes to 007, that's another thing altogether.
In fact, if this new rumor from The Daily Mail (which can be hit-or-miss) is to be believed, then there will be a woman stepping into the role of 007 in James Bond 25. And apparently that woman is Captain Marvel co-star Lashana Lynch.
In Captain Marvel, the actress played Maria Rambeau, an ace pilot in the Air Force who was best friends with Brie Larson's character Carol Danvers before she was presumed dead in a dangerous flight that ended in a fiery crash. It was only a supporting role, but it was enough of a breakthrough role to land her a part in the James Bond franchise. And if this story is true, she's stepped into quite a role.
According to the rumor, the new movie finds James Bond retired and living in Jamaica. Set photos during production there have shown the secret agent to be living at a beachside house, and shots of Daniel Craig himself show us a James Bond that easily looks like he's relaxing away from all the action. So that checks out.
If James Bond is retired, that leaves the 007 codename to be inherited by someone else. And it's Lashana Lynch who is introduced as 007 when M (Ralph Fiennes) gets desperate and calls James Bond back to help deal with some kind of global crisis. The source of this rumor called it a "popcorn-dropping moment," and in a way, it's kind of a slap in the face to anyone who said that James Bond couldn't be black or a woman. No, Lashana Lynch isn't James Bond exactly, but having her take over for him at MI6 is a great twist.
Of course, since Lashana Lynch is a stunning woman in James Bond's presence, you know what that means. The source added:
"Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don't work on a brilliant, young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed. Well, certainly not at the beginning."
It remains to be seen how integral Lashana Lynch will be to the rest of the proceedings. Perhaps she'll have the same size role that Naomie Harris had in Skyfall. Either way, we wouldn't be surprised if James Bond ends up coming out of retirement and gets his 007 number back. Then again, if this is meant to be Daniel Craig's last hurrah as Bond, maybe it'll be left up in the air as to who the next 007 will be.
For what it's worth, as bogus as this rumor might seem to some, Fangoria editor-in-chief and James Bond fanatic Phil Nobile Jr. predicted this back in June when a shot of Lashana Lynch on set showed the actress wearing a safari jacket. That just so happens to be a signature wardrobe choice for previous 007s, so it would seem this theory and rumor will be confirmed when the movie arrives next year.
James Bond 25 still doesn't have a title, but it will hit theaters on April 8, 2020.