James Bond actor Ben Whishaw says franchise ‘needs to be reinvented’

Former James Bond actor Ben Whishaw has said he thinks the 007 franchise “needs to be reinvented completely” for its next instalment.

The 46-year-old has starred in three James Bond films alongside Daniel Craig as the character of Q, the quartermaster who heads the MI6 research and development team.

His first appearance was in the 2012 film Skyfall, and he later featured in Spectre (2015) before reprising his role a final time in Craig’s last film as the secret agent, No Time To Die (2021).

The hunt for the next Bond began in May and is believed to have reached its final stages, with Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor among the stars reportedly in contention for the 007 role.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Whishaw reflected on the future of the franchise.

“The world has changed so much since the last Bond film so you have to find what is relevant about it,” he said.

“I think it needs to be reinvented completely. But it’s not for me to say.”

The next Bond film is in development, and it was announced last year that Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight would write the script.

Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce the upcoming project, which is currently untitled, while Dune’s Denis Villeneuve will direct.

Whishaw, who replaced John Cleese in the role of Q, also said his Bond character felt “unsatisfying” because while there is a passing mention of his sexuality, it is not picked up on again.

The actor, who came out as gay in 2013, added: “I rarely think about Bond. That would be weird.”

Addressing the speculation about who will replace Daniel Craig, who originally took over the role of the secret agent in 2006, he added: “People go crazy about it.

“It’s all deliberate hype. When you are working on it, it’s incredibly secretive, almost like being a spy.

“You only get the pages of the script that you are in. It’s a ploy to create suspense and glamour, but it’s kind of fun.”