Rebecca Ferguson is all about standing up for herself and speaking her mind, and this time, she has shed light on the world of 007! Her demand from the upcoming feature hits right where the Bond franchise has long fallen short: a strong female villain who can stand toe-to-toe with 007 himself! Ferguson told The Times:
We haven’t had a female Bond villain. I already said that to Denis — ‘female Bond villain, b–ch!’ He was like, ‘Oh là là.’”
Denis Villeneuve is helming the upcoming Bond movie and reuniting with Steven Knight, who’ll pen the script. Ferguson has previously worked with both filmmakers, and she might be the perfect fit for a role in the next 007 chapters. And despite not using her connections to secure a part in the movie, she joked that “I would have been pushing to play the baddie.”
Steven Knight Can Fulfill Rebecca Ferguson’s James Bond Demand
In several films, women have certainly had their moments in the 007 lore. But they have rarely been the singular main antagonist that drives the story’s conflict. Most female villains were bound to a trope and not very effective. That’s exactly what Rebecca Ferguson has been pushing against (via The Times):
I love the Bonds, most of them, but I often found that they weren’t very good at writing for women. [But Knight] wrote Maria [the Maria Callas biopic] for Angelina Jolie — he’s written loads of good female roles.
Ferguson is right, and Steven Knight’s track record indeed backs her words up. He’s consistently written strong, layered, flawed, and fiercely individualistic female characters. Ferguson discussed the Bond project while working with Knight on the Peaky Blinders spinoff, so let’s hope that she really got into his head and inspired him to write an amazing baddie for the upcoming film!
Will Rebecca Ferguson’s Words Change the Course of Female James Bond Villains?
Villainous women in James Bond films were either henchmen killed in action, a double agent, or the redundant trope of “bad girl gone good.” So, getting a new female antagonist isn’t about having another archetype on screen, but rewriting years of cinematic missteps.
Looking back, the Bond series is filled with memorable women, but they often existed only as someone who supported the male masterminds or seduced 007. Out of the several Bond features, only a few of them showcased women with true power.
Here’s an overview of the female antagonists with prominent roles:
With Daniel Craig’s Bond era being over, Denis Villeneuve and Steven Knight have the creative freedom to rethink every aspect. Ferguson herself is skilled in the spy genre, and they wouldn’t have to look any further than someone who’s pitched the idea and is ready to play it!
But do you think her enthusiastic demand will ever materialize on the big screen?
