Daniel Craig is retiring as James Bond after No Time to Die comes out in April, and as whispers start circulating on who will replace him, the franchise's long-time producer quashes at least one rumor: that 007 could be a woman. The Los Angeles Times notes speculation had arisen on just that possibility—Captain Marvel actress Lashana Lynch and Knives Out star Ana de Armas are two names it mentions—but Barbara Broccoli says that's not going to happen on her watch. Bond "can be of any color, but he is male," she tells Variety. "I believe we should be creating new characters for women—strong female characters. I'm not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that."
Not that Broccoli isn't considering other big moves for the Bond franchise: She's open to debuting the next incarnation on a streaming service like Netflix. "We make these films for the audiences," she says. "We like to think that they're going to be seen primarily on the big screen, but ... our fans are the ones who dictate how they want to consume their entertainment." As for the departure of Craig, who's starred in five Bond films, Broccoli is still trying to wrap her head around it. "I've accepted what Daniel has said, but I'm still in denial," she says. "It's too traumatic for me." No Time to Die arrives in theaters April 10. (Billie Eilish is the youngest artist to ever record a Bond theme song.)
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