‘Ballerina’ star Ana de Armas doesn’t agree with a female James Bond: “Let James be James”
With intense speculation about the future of the James Bond series, former Bond girl Ana de Armas has shared her thoughts on the franchise. The actor has called for more female-led films like her upcoming movie Ballerina instead of gender-swapping the lead character of James Bond.
de Armas made the comments while promoting her latest film at CinemaCon, a Lionsgate spin-off of John Wick. There, she discussed the future of James Bond after recent comments from Dame Helen Mirren. The British actor revealed that she “never liked the way women were in James Bond” and that the franchise’s concept “is drenched and born out of profound sexism.”
The Ballerina star had a breakout role as Paloma in the 2021 iteration of the story, No Time To Die, with her character being praised for challenging the previous limitations of the Bond girl. When discussing the film, she said, “Why don’t we have more movies about Paloma? Let James be James and John Wick be John Wick. We’ll do our thing.”
She continued: “When you get a woman fighting, you’ll be surprised the things she can pull off.”
The actor also shared her opinion that the Bond universe can be opened up to new stories and possibilities as a result of Amazon’s acquirement of the franchise. “I’m sure that Barbara Broccoli and Robert Wilson made the best decision for James Bond. Whatever happens, that can go anywhere [creatively],” she said of future narratives in the series.
de Armas discussed how her current role in Ballerina is an example of the possibilities of female-led action movies. The film follows a dancer turned assassin who seeks to avenge her father’s death. The actor described her extensive preparation and shooting schedule for the project, detailing the intensive exercise regimes and stunt training.
Ballerina is set for release on June 6th, 2025.
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