Daniel Craig says Bond shouldn't be a woman – because there should be "better parts" for women

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

Daniel Craig has weighed in on the debate over whether Bond should be played by a woman.

"The answer to that is very simple," the James Bond actor told Radio Times. "There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"

Craig has been very clear that No Time to Die will be his final outing as 007, and speculation over who should pick up the license to kill next has been raging for years. Names like Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, and, more recently, Bridgerton's Regé-Jean Page frequently pop up in the conversation. Discussion around whether the next Bond should be a woman or a person of color to diversify the franchise is also prevalent. Who will next fill those shoes remains a mystery, though.

No Time to Die introduces Lashana Lynch as Nomi, as well as Ana de Armas as Paloma. Léa Seydoux returns as Madeleine Swan, while Ben Whishaw is back as Q, Ralph Fiennes returns as M, Naomie Harris is back as Eve Moneypenny, Jeffrey Wright returns as Felix Leiter, and Christoph Waltz is back as Blofeld. Rami Malek joins the franchise as the villain Safin.

The film is directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, with a screenplay penned by Fukunaga, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

While the plot is under wraps, Craig told our sister publication Total Film that the themes of the movie are "love and family," explaining: "Because what's bigger than that? Bond's 'family' being Moneypenny and Q and M. And then Lashana [Lynch] comes in, and she's like a distant cousin who you're not sure about. I've always said: in Bond movies the world needs saving in the first frame, and in the last frame, he saves the world. OK. But in the middle – what the fuck? It's got to be emotionally engaging."

The much-delayed No Time to Die is finally right around the corner, released in the UK this September 30, and in the US on October 8. In the meantime, check out our guide to all of 2021's upcoming major movie release dates.

I'm the Deputy Entertainment Editor here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.