Eva Green played Vesper Lynd in the James Bond film Casino Royale in 2006, and though she only appeared in the one film, Green said she is confident that the future of the series remains in good hands.
Following the 2021 film No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's 15-year stint as the cunning and devil-may-care spy that began with Casino Royale has come to an end, and who will play Bond next is currently up in the air.
"I don't know where it's going, I don't really follow what's happening," Green told Newsweek during an interview promoting her newest film, Nocebo. "But I know that Barbara Broccoli will make an amazing choice because she's one of the best producers I've ever encountered, and I wish all the producers were like her. But I'm sure she'll make the right choice."
Though her time with Bond was brief, Green's character, Lynd, became one of the spy's more iconic romantic interests in the last decade, sharing palpable chemistry with Craig on the screen that makes the film one of the classics to this day. Though the series has a reputation for treating its female leads as disposable, Craig's films seemed continuously haunted by the shadow cast by Green's short-lived character.
"Even in the Ian Fleming novel, this character was very important because Bond fell in love with her, which was very rare," Green said. "He was showing some vulnerability. That's what kind of really appealed to me when I read the script a long time ago when I was young," she said.
The French model and actress only had a few roles before she landed herself the role of Lynd, getting her big-screen debut in the 2003 film The Dreamers. She played in two other films after that before being cast in Casino Royale, and she said what drew her to play Lynd was that she was far more than just another "Bond girl."
"I see it as a love story, not just, 'Oh, it's Bond,'" said Green. "Yeah, it's amazing, but it was a strong love story."
Now that the story of Craig's Bond is complete, there are many lingering questions about what lies ahead for the dashing MI6 agent––the greatest being, who will step into Bond's tuxedo next?
Many have talked of Idris Elba taking on the part, though producers Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have shared that he may be "too old" to play Bond.
The biggest concern is getting an actor who can commit to the role long-term.
"The thing is, it's going to be a couple of years off," Broccoli told Variety in September. "And when we cast Bond, it's a 10-, 12-year commitment. So he's probably thinking, 'Do I really want that thing? Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]."
There may be higher expectations for Bond this time around, as many were thrilled at the prospect of having Elba as the first Black James Bond. Others have wondered whether or not it's time for a woman to take on the role.
No Time to Die actress Ana de Armas told The Sun earlier this year that there's "no need for a female Bond." Her co-star in the film, Lashana Lynch, who plays Nomi and takes on the codename of 007 in No Time to Die, disagreed, telling The Guardian last year that Bond could be either "a man or woman."
Though there are not yet any definitive candidates chosen, many are predicting that the most likely candidates include Bridgerton actor Regé-Jean Page, Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, or perhaps even Peaky Blinders star Cillian Murphy.
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About the writer
Emma Mayer is a Newsweek Culture Writer based in Wyoming. Her focus is reporting on celebrities, books, movies, and music. ... Read more
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