Why Idris Elba Saying James Bond Should Be A Woman Is Stupid

Why Idris Elba Saying That James Bond Should Be A Woman Is Stupid by Deffinition

In a recent interview with Variety Magazine, actor Idris Elba stated that James Bond should be played by a woman, emphasising that it would be something different. Whilst I respect the actor’s work and even championed him to be Daniel Craig’s replacement, I massively disagree with the statement.

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I Promise I’m Not Being Sexist

Whilst some may think this is sexist and just as bad as when Doctor Who fans cried out that the female replacement was the worst idea ever, it isn’t. I loved that take on the character and it seemed wholly refreshing for the archetype. This is a look at the lack of creativity in Hollywood that is abundant at the moment and how rather than develop something different they would rather just subvert the established.

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In all honesty I am sick of the mentality of just ‘make the character this demographic instead.’ It is lazy and shows a lack of understanding towards values. Why not just make the female equivalent of Bond and also leave James Bond as a male? Not every character has to have a gender swap. If a character isn’t for you either let them be and die off or invent a new one that focuses on the issue that you want to raise.

Black Panther

Case in point, Black Panther sees it’s release next month and many fans, including me are very hyped for what the film will do in theatres and the Hollywood infrastructure itself. Never before have we had a black superhero lead that seemed to be in the limelight in such a positive way. This could truly be revolutionary and change the thinking of the way studios and the world approach the comic book genre.

Now imagine how lessened that effect would be if they’d already made movies where Black Panther had  been played by a white actor. In just swapping out the race you also lessen the meaning.

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This was made evident by the race swap of Mary Jane in Spider-man: Homecoming. Sure it was a good choice and something different but did it really enforce the values of equality and give the black community something they could rally behind? Personally I don’t think it was anywhere near as the new black love interest, Liz. This original character was far more interesting and massively overshadowed Mary Jane due to her originality. She ended up being more empowering and her interracial lineage much more relateable. Idris’ statement doesn’t really seem to do anything other than pander towards people.

Wonder Woman

Another example is Wonder Woman. Wonder Woman has always been a woman and therefore at her core is always a tentpole for women’s rights and strong female leads. When the movie was released there was Oscar Talk. This was all centered around an original female character. Now Wonder Woman is opening the doors for other female superhero characters. We’ve seen confirmation of a Black Widow and Batgirl film and this all seems like a positive step forward. Again, imagine if Wonder Woman used  to be a man, not sure how that works exactly but imagine. If all that happened was a gender swap then would the movement have been as progressive as it was? I doubt it and that is why we should always look for new characters to be at the forefront of new ideas. In relying on the past constantly we remain there.

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Also I don’t think any audience member could keep a straight face if they ever said ‘The Names Bond…Jane Bond.’

Your Thoughts

So that’s my thought on the Idris Elba Female James Bond Debacle. Do you agree? Is it time we had a female Bond? Why is this better than just creating a new character? Comment below and let me know because I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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