Ever since the exotic dancer Mata Hari was discovered as a spy in the First World War, there have been various representations of the femme fatale spy in the entertainment industry. But more recent iterations of female spies in movies and video games have demonstrated actresses in more multifaceted roles, raising the prospect of the first female Bond.
Stereotypical female spies
Positive portrayals of female spies in movies have been few and far between since Notorious, the 1946 film which was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, and Claude Rain, in which Bergman is recruited as a spy by Grant. But many movies starring female spies have been comedies, such as the Sandra Bullock Miss Congeniality films and the 2015 movie Spy starring Melissa McCarthy.
However, there are signs this is changing with movies such as The 355, which stars Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong’o and is based on the story written by Theresa Rebeck. The movie plot involves a group of diverse international female spies who join forces to thwart a terrorist organization in their attempt to bring about a world war.
Possible female Bonds
The portrayal of strong female spies has raised hopes that the first female Bond could be on the cards. Lashana Lynch became the new 007 in the 2021 Bond film No Time to Die, but we are still waiting for the first female lead in a Bond movie. There is certainly no shortage of actresses capable of becoming Bond, one of the most iconic characters in film history, with Ruth Negga, Lauren Cohan, and Priyanka Chopra possible options. Chopra recently commented that she would much prefer the leading role in a Bond film rather than playing a femme fatale.
And one area of the entertainment industry has already devised a female version of James Bond. The Agent Jane Blonde Max Volume slot features a female version of the special agent in a series of missions and via Bonusfinder Canada interested players can access the slot at Jackpot City casino. This slot aims to capitalize on the popularity of the spy genre and create a buzz by developing a female Bond-style character and is hopefully an indicator of great things yet to come in the entertainment industry.
Dr Who shows the way for diversity
And there is already a precedent for female leads taking on roles traditionally associated with male actors. In 2017, Jodie Whittaker became the first woman doctor in the British TV series Dr Who. This week, the show announced another groundbreaking casting decision to reflect diversity in society with the news that Ncuti Gatwa will become the first Black actor to assume the role of the time traveler.
It is just a matter of time before we see the first female Bond as movie makers break with the stereotypes of old. There is no shortage of female actresses who would be perfect for the role and as females take on more multi-faceted roles, the Bond franchise has the opportunity to join shows such as Dr Who by making a groundbreaking decision to dispense with femme fatales or comedy spies and give a female actress the opportunity to take on the starring role.
