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Helen Mirren insists James Bond “can’t have a woman” despite being a feminist

Mon 18 August 2025 13:21, UK

Helen Mirren has insisted that James Bond has to be played by a male actor and “can’t have a woman”, but still claimed she is “such a feminist”.

The actor was speaking to Saga Magazine alongside former Bond star Pierce Brosnan, while promoting their roles in the latest Netflix movie, The Thursday Murder Club. However, when the subject of the future of the world’s most famous spy was approached, the pair both had some very clear opinions.

“You can’t have a woman,” Mirren said. “It just doesn’t work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else”. Brosnan also agreed with his co-star, adding that the part should continue to be played by a man but that he was keen to “see a whole new exuberance and life for this character”.

Despite her stance that James Bond should remain a male character, Mirren has famously spoken out against the feminist issues of the franchise in the past, saying it was “born out of profound sexism” as women play an “incredibly important part” in the secret service.

It comes as the future form of the franchise remains unknown, with Amazon MGM Studios taking over the iconic production from the Broccoli family earlier this year, and Peaky Blinders’s Steven Knight writing the script. The 26th film in the series has been billed as a “fresh” take that will still pay tribute to the “legacy” of the spy.

According to previous reports, an unknown actor named Scott Rose-Marsh began testing for the role in June, having to fight off Hollywood fellow contenders rumoured to be in the running, such as Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

For the part of Mirren and Brosnan, they now both star as spies of a different kind in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club, directed by Chris Columbus and based on the original best-selling novel by Richard Osman.

The Thursday Murder Club will be released on Netflix on August 22nd.