James Bond Franchise Faces Woke Overhaul: Is Hollywood Ruining Another Iconic IP?
London, UK – Holy moly, they’re actually doing the meme! The James Bond franchise appears to be the latest target in Hollywood’s relentless pursuit of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), with reports indicating Netflix action star Aaron Pierre is now the top choice for the new 007. This news has sent shockwaves through the fandom, and frankly, we’re not surprised by the immediate backlash.
The rumored frontrunner, Aaron Pierre, is being presented with promotional images that depict him as “exceedingly effeminite looking” – he appears to be wearing makeup, with tweezed eyebrows, and in our opinion, looks “like a woman”. We’ve even joked that he’s “literally a wig away from being a drag queen” and questioned if he’s going to “hit on men” in the role. This is a far cry from the classic Bond, and the fan feedback is clear: this is “James Bond DEI” another day, and we’re seeing it as part of Hollywood’s pattern to “lose as much money and ruin as much IP as possible”.
Amazon, which now controls the creative direction of the highly anticipated James Bond reboot, is reportedly fast-tracking this decision as they aim to distance the next chapter from the Daniel Craig era. While Aaron Pierre is 31, fitting Amazon’s reported desire for a younger actor, and he demonstrated “affinity for action” in Netflix’s Rebel Ridge (which supposedly has a 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, though frankly, “nobody saw” it), we don’t believe “007 fans flocked to social media to call for Pierre to play Bond”.
We’ve seen this play out before, and the results are consistently disastrous. Take Doctor Who, for example. They cast an “effeminite black man” as the Doctor, and what happened? Terrible ratings, budget issues, and a staggering 90% loss of audience. This wasn’t just because the actor was black, but because the show became more concerned with “pushing a woke narrative,” including “feminism and all this kind of stuff,” rather than delivering a good story. We fear the same fate awaits James Bond.
The truth is, James Bond as we knew it arguably “ended when it tried to chase the Born movies with Daniel Craig,” leaving Pierce Brosnan as the “last great James Bond”. We’re not convinced there’s a huge audience eagerly awaiting more James Bond anyway, especially not with these kinds of casting choices.
If Hollywood insists on a black man playing 007, the only choice that makes sense, even if it doesn’t excite us, would be Idris Elba. However, our firm belief, and one echoed by many fans, is that Henry Cavill should be the first choice, a decision that would undoubtedly “earn billions” for the franchise. Other strong contenders that top bookie’s lists include Theo James and Aaron Taylor Johnson.
Ultimately, if the goal is a female Bond or a non-white Bond, then create something new. Make it “009”. What the franchise desperately needs is “the right actor that’s going to reactivate the fandom,” not merely a move to score “diversity points”. We don’t believe this rumored casting choice will excite audiences or prevent what looks to be another colossal flop.
