The four-time Oscar-nominated Irish actress Saoirse Ronan said she is “extremely serious” about wanting to play the villain in the new James Bond film. Ronan said a young female Bond adversary would be compelling.
The screenplay for the film being developed by Amazon MGM and directed by Denis Villeneuve is being written by Steven Knight. Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Harris Dickinson and Ronan’s husband Jack Lowden have been mentioned as possibilities for the new 007, but no official casting has been announced yet.
Why it matters
Ronan’s remarks are broadening the discussion, before the film’s cast has been finalized, beyond the search for the new 007 to include how the adversary character will be designed. However, the comments do not mean that Ronan has joined the project or that the production team is planning such a character. For this reason, the remarks amount not to an official decision, particularly for those following casting choices and the approach to characters in the Bond franchise, but to a statement of the actress’s interest in the project. In the production involving Denis Villeneuve and Steven Knight, the central question remains not only whether Ronan’s wish will be considered, but also whether the new film will actually feature a female adversary character.