James Bond author Charlie Higson thinks the film franchise’s producers have an impossible task when casting the character in Bond 26, because the decision will be criticised regardless.
Higson, the author behind new 007 book King Zero, had already shared his own verdict on current frontrunner Jack Lowden, believing him to be an “unconvincing” choice.
Now, the author has addressed his own beliefs surrounding the casting process, declaring: “Whatever the answer, everyone will be very angry when they find out.”
When Daniel Craig was cast as the spy, fans were up in arms because of the actor’s blonde hair, with many also stating he was too rugged to pull off the character’s suave sensibilities.
However, when Casino Royale was released in 2006, he immediately defied expectations, ending his tenure in 2021’s No Time to Die as one of the most popular Bonds in the franchise’s 60-year history.
Slow Horses star Lowden is bookies’ current favourite to succeed Craig in the role, with other contenders including Callum Turner and Jacob Elordi. Higson recently suggested Elordi was “too tall” for the role and that Turner had “unconventional looks”, but told The Telegraph that the character should never be gender flipped.
“Bond could be Black, that wouldn’t be a problem,” he said, adding: “But there’d be no point making Bond a woman, because the character’s about what it means to be a man. It’s a representation of manhood and manliness.”
Higson is best known for writing the Young Bond series of books. The spin-off to Ian Fleming’s original novels follows a teenage James Bond while studying at Eton College.
He wrote five books in the series before becoming the eighth writer to take over the adult Bond books since original author Ian Fleming’s death in 1964. Higson’s On His Majesty’s Secret Service was released in 2023, while his latest novel, King Zero, comes out this month.
The forthcoming 007 film’s screenwriter, Steven Knight, recently revealed that the chosen actor has been cast – and hinted that he’s been writing with the actor in mind.
Knight appeared on Radio 4’s Today programme, where he was asked whether he had written the film with the chosen actor in mind or based on what he already knew about the character.
“It’s a bit of both,” he replied in the interview earlier this month. “It does make life a little bit easier if you know who that person is, but also you have to write the character, not the actor.”
When questioned about when exactly he found out who was going to succeed Daniel Craig in the role, Knight squirmed, adding: "I’ll refer you to my previous answer.”
The decision was made by producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman, as well as Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who will direct the film.
Knight said that he’s “trying to shut out” the frenzied interest in the project, which will be the first Bond film since long-time producer Barbara Broccoli handed the keys for the Aston Martin over to Amazon.
“The only thing I can say is it feels like I’m doing my duty for king and country – if you’re a British writer, you have to do it.”
He continued: “The thing with Bond is it’s its own universe and its own franchise. Obviously, you have to move it along, but I love where it sits. I love that it’s British and it’s not DC or Marvel.”
