The Next James Bond Could Be Black, Female, Or Harry Styles

Ever since Daniel Craig announced he’s only on board for one final James Bond film, the world has been on the hunt to find the perfect spy to to step into the iconic tux. Tom Hardy, Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston and James Norton are 007 favourites amongst fans, with more and more suave gentlemen being added to the growing pool of contenders everyday.

A famed former boyband member is the latest name on the list. Could British hunk Harry Styles play the equally British, equally hunky, James Bond? Yes, he could. Film editor Lee Smith, who worked on the 2015 Bond film Spectre and is best buds with new Bond director, Christopher Nolan, threw the former One Direction member’s name into the ring of potential Bond replacements. “Harry could do it,” Smith told the Daily Star. “If they wanted a younger Bond then why not? He has got it.”

Does the idea of Harry Styles sipping martinis and shooting guns make you swoon? Us too. But the better question, perhaps, is should Harry Styles play James Bond? The multi-talented 23-year-old has the accent, the style, and arguably the acting chops. (Did you see how he seamlessly blended into the ensemble cast in the Oscar-nominated Dunkirk? Brilliant work.) But it isn’t Style’s industry cred or youth that has fans of the franchise questioning his eligibility for the role. Rather, the Internet’s problem with Harry is that he isn’t black, and he isn’t a woman. It’s time for something “different”, and choosing another white male for the classic role could miss the mark with an increasingly woke audience.

Just this past week, Idris Elba made headlines for suggesting Bond be played by a woman. “Are we interested in having a Bond character other than being a male?” the 45-year-old British actor told Variety. “It could be a woman—could be a black woman, could be a white woman. Do something different with it. Why not?”

Would Rihanna as James Bond rectify the franchise’s history of white-male chauvinism? Maybe. Would it be a huge step forward for women in film? Absolutely — and it would probably be a great film. I would line up to see it, and I have no doubt other people (women and men) would too. But doesn’t turning James Bond into Jane Bond feel a little too much like a gimmick? Like women need to prove that they’re equal to men by playing pop culture’s most macho character? A Jane Bond would no doubt change the game, but it’s not the only way the game can be changed.

We shouldn’t slot women or people of colour into predetermined formulas originally built around white male characters and then applaud ourselves for progress. In a recent interview, Idris Elba called out fans who just want to see a black James Bond: “It’s interesting that the James Bond thing continues to go,” he told The Independent. “I think it’s more about, ‘We just want to have a black guy play James Bond rather than Idris Elba, the actor, play James Bond.’ That’s the part that I’m like, ‘Ugh, come on,'” Elba admitted.

Minorities should have the opportunity to pave their own paths, with their own multi-million dollar franchises (looking at you Wonder Woman and Black Panther!). Which means Hollywood needs to create more iconic roles for them that are strong, noble, dignified and really good at kicking ass on the big screen.

But alas, maybe this is just my way of defending Harry Styles, and campaigning for him to take on the role. Because you have to admit: the tuxedo looks good on him.

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