You didn't have to be a fan of One Direction to recognise why so many people freak out over Harry Styles. He's got the silky amber locks, the charming smile, the powerhouse vocals and, as evidenced by his recent role in Dunkirk, the acting chops. His enormous following paired with his talent make him an excellent candidate to become the newest version of James Bond.
Even Spectre's film editor Lee Smith thinks Styles would be a perfect fit. According to Digital Spy, Smith reportedly told the Daily Star, "Harry could do it. If they wanted a younger Bond then why not? He's got it."
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
Of course, he could do it. But, that doesn't necessarily mean that he should. Let's discuss.
The Bond film franchise has been around now for nearly 56 years, ushering in a slew of handsome men — Sean Connery, Pierce Bronson, and Daniel Craig, to name a few — to portray the dashing and dangerous lead. Meanwhile, some of Hollywood's sexiest women — we're talking Ursula Andress, Kim Basinger, and Halle Berry — have wooed audiences as unforgettable side characters, otherwise known as Bond Girls. Were they amazing? Yes, but it's time that a woman go from accessory to statement piece and shake up Bond's entire universe.
We're not the only ones to feel this way, either. On Monday, Vanity Fair ran an interview with Idris Elba — another man who could easily don Bond's classic, crisp tuxedo and sip martinis between firing off a few rounds at his adversaries — who said that it's time for a woman to fill the coveted role.
"Are we interested in having a Bond character other than being a male," he asked. "It could be a woman — could be a Black woman, could be a white woman," he said. "Do something different with it. Why not?"
Why not, indeed. Elba's sentiment is thankfully nothing new. Women such as Kristen Stewart and Priyanka Chopra have been making the case for a franchise revamp for a while. The difference now is that more men, such as Michael Fassbender, who bounced the idea of a woman Bond off of British GQ, are finally starting to realise that the films don't need white, British men to be successful. For anyone who still doubts this, please see Atomic Blonde. One look at Charlize Theron showcasing her spy skills, and you'll understand that it's beyond time women had their turn exchanging fire in the spotlight. After all, what's the point in just updating Bond's technology if the ideology behind the film is still stuck back in the early '60s?
Besides, it's not like they'd have to even change Bond's first name. James is a totally badass name for a woman — just look to Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds' darling daughter for proof.
And if you really just have to have Styles involved in a future iteration, may we suggest remixing his song, "Woman," for the opening track? We bet Adele wouldn't mind giving him a few pointers on how to make an Oscar-worthy hit.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT