A GB News debate got heated today as the editor of 007 magazine Graham Rye argued that James Bond “should be” cast as a straight white man.
This comes after there has been reports that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been offered the iconic role.
The Kick-Ass and Marvel films actor has been “formally offered the job” as the 007 spy, formerly played by Daniel Craig.
There has been speculation over who would be offered the role, with some people believing that it would be a change of pace for Bond to be gay or black and we are “crying out for something more diverse “.
Graham Rye said that Bond “should be” a straight white man
GB News
Speaking on GB News, Patrick Christys asked Rye: “Are you happy or is it right that we believe the new James Bond is going to be a straight, white British man?”
Rye responded: “Well as it should be. Yes, but the point is, it’s all conjecture.
“Nobody knows whether Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been cast as Bond or not until they make a big press conference, which they always do for these kinds of things, that’s when we all know whether he’s got the role or not. But it’s all it’s all fiction at the moment.”
However, author Nichi Hodgson said: “I think we’re crying out for something more diverse, original and unique.
“I think we have this perception that everybody wants to see a straight white man doing straight white man things on film, and it is nothing of the sort.
Aaron Taylor-Johnson has reportedly been offered the role of BondGetty
“People’s fantasies are very wide-ranging, even if they won’t admit to wanting to watch things like that, as we know from porn viewing habits.
“I think it is time to take a bigger risk also because money is in the bank already for the Bond franchise. Creatively, it must be very dull to work on something where you’re just trotting out the same character and in a very kind of uniform way, year on year.”
Rye slammed the opinion of the author as “utterly stupid” and she argued: “I don’t think it’s utterly stupid.
“If you look at the real people that inspired Bond, they’re much more colourful and flamboyant in their personal lives than how Ian Fleming put down on paper.”
Nichi Hodgson thought it is time for some “diversity”
GB News
Rye then argued: “He was a fictional character. He is a fictional character.
“Bond is portrayed in the films more or less the same as Ian Fleming’s writing. And that’s all that needs to be done. Cinema isn’t interested in all that.
“Will they accept it? Change something?
“If something’s not broken, then they don’t need to fix it. Right? To fix it in that way, when it doesn’t need fixing, it could be a box office disaster.”
