This actress to take over the mantle of 007 in the next Bond movie

Lashana Lynch. Pic/@lashanalynchofficial

There has been a lot of speculation and fans have been wondering about who the next James Bond will be, and now it looks like the mystery has been solved! The upcoming film, Bond 25, will show the current secret agent passing on the 007 mantle to another actor, reported Fox News.

According to the outlet, the next James Bond will be played by a woman, and it's going to be Captain Marvel fame actress Lashana Lynch. The 31-year-old actor had a breakout role in the 2019 hit Captain Marvel as Maria Rambeau, the titular superhero's best friend, and fellow Air Force pilot.

According to a report by The Daily Mail, as cited by Fox News, screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge intervened to pass the torch on to the star. "There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says 'Come in 007,' and in walks Lashana. It's a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he's been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman," a Bond insider stated. The source also claimed that the phrase 'Bond girls' is now verboten: The females in the spy franchise are now reportedly ordered to be called 'Bond women'.

Waller-Bridge, who pens the hit thriller series Killing Eve said, "There's been a lot of talk about whether or not Bond is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women. I think that's b--t. I think he's absolutely relevant now. The franchise has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn't have to. He needs to be true to his character."

The insider also claimed that the script of Bond 25 will maintain all of the classic Bond elements, including action and fight scenes with Craig, while also tackling the super-spy's role in the #MeToo era but with a pinch of humour over overt preaching. The film will also see Christoph Waltz reprise his role as James Bond's arch-enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld.

Earlier, actor Idris Elba was rumoured to be the next Bond. However, the question of a non-white star playing the character has brought about many heated debates. Craig, who is returning for his fifth appearance as the agent in the upcoming Bond 25 movie, will reportedly be playing the character for the last time.

Bond 25 has had a tumultuous journey with reports of issues, including filming delays due to Craig's ankle injury, Rami Malek's conflicting schedule, on-set explosions and actor Grace Jones walking off the set after disappointment in the size of her cameo role. The next Bond movie, currently known as Bond 25 because it marks the franchise's 25th instalment, is slated to hit the big screens on April 8, 2020.

Also read: Idris Elba 'disheartened' by backlash over idea of him playing James Bond

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