James Bond producer on why it’s unlikely there will ever be a female 007

James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has ruled out a female replacement when Daniel Craig hangs up his 007 tux.

The upcoming James Bond film is likely to be the last time Daniel Craig plays the role, and there have been plenty of actors rumoured to take over as the spy. However, Broccoli said that while fans may be keen on the idea of a woman taking over as 007, it's very unlikely. Speaking from the film's launch event in GoldenEye, Jamaica, she told Good Morning Britain [via Metro]:

"I always feel Bond is a male character. I think that’s just a fact. "I think we have to make movies about women and women’s stories, but we need to create female characters and not just for a gimmick turn a male character into a woman."

[caption id="attachment_461347" align="alignnone" width="1365"] Phoebe Waller-Bridge[/caption] During the same event, it was confirmed that Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge will serve as co-writer on the project. According to Broccoli, it was initially Craig's idea to get the award-winning star on board. She explained:

"It was Daniel's idea, we all leapt to it, we loved her. She has made a great contribution to it."

Director, Cary Joji Fukunaga confirmed the returning cast - including Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright. He also introduced Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen and Rami Malek.