James Bond’s Q Actor Ben Whishaw Says the Franchise ‘Needs to Be Reinvented Completely’
The search for the next James Bond is reportedly entering its final stages, and while the world waits to learn who will inherit the tuxedo after Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw has weighed in on what should happen to the rest of the cast around him. Whishaw, who played gadget-master Q across three films opposite Craig, told The Sunday Times that Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming reboot needs a clean break from the Craig era, though he stopped short of saying outright whether that means he’s done with the role himself.
“It’s Not for Me to Say”
Asked about the direction of the franchise following Craig’s exit, Whishaw argued that 007 needs a genuine fresh start rather than a continuation of what came before. “I think it needs to be reinvented completely. But it’s not for me to say,” he said, reflecting on how much the world has changed since the last Bond film and what that means for keeping the character relevant.
Ben Whishaw played Q across Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die, succeeding John Cleese in the role.
Q’s Legacy and the Hunt for the Next 007
Whishaw first took over as Q in 2012’s Skyfall, replacing John Cleese, and went on to reprise the role in Spectre and in Craig’s finale, No Time to Die. He also looked back on one of his character’s more understated moments, calling the brief, passing acknowledgment of Q’s sexuality in No Time to Die unsatisfying, since the film never returned to it after that scene. Away from Bond, Whishaw is known for A Very English Scandal and voicing Paddington.
The next Bond film remains in development at Amazon MGM Studios, with Villeneuve directing from a script by Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, and Amy Pascal and David Heyman producing. The search for the new 007 began back in May and is said to be in its closing phase, with Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O’Connor among the names reportedly in contention, though no casting decision, title or release date has been officially confirmed.
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Picture Source: Everwest (CC BY 4.0), Greg2600 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
My experience with the original series showed a clear direction that the new production should follow. The character’s evolution felt consistent throughout the classic run.