The James Bond franchise is experiencing a period of modernisation where cast selection and character behaviours are under a lot more scrutiny. So where does that leave the notorious Bond Girl, the female that Bond usually can’t keep his hands off?
The latest research suggests that it might be time to forget about including the conventional Bond Girl in future productions considering most men do not want to be with a Bond Girl themselves.
Most British Men Don’t Want a Bond Girl
One casino games website, PartyCasino, has been digging into the allure of Bond Girls in 2022 and uncovered some interesting results. Most British men would not swap their current girlfriend or wife to be with one of the Bond girls in any of the movies made so far. Out of all those surveyed, 54% of men said they would not trade in their current partner for a Bond Girl if they had the choice, and only 26% of men said they would make the hypothetical trade. The Bond Girl that grabbed the most male attention, according to the survey results, was Halle Berry, who starred in Die Another Day (2002).
On the flip side, the female survey respondents were not so hesitant to swap their partner for a James Bond of their choosing. Out of all the women surveyed, 40% said they would ditch their current boyfriend or partner to be with a James Bond – which one, you might ask? Well, out of the seven options available, the results were tight. Nevertheless, Daniel Craig – who was first criticised for not having the conventional Bond appearance when he first got the role – came out on top. A victory for blond men everywhere!
The future of Bond Girls
The James Bond franchise has been making some big decisions of late that could completely modernise characters and narratives. In line with calls to make film casts more diverse, plenty of critics and fans are hoping to see a black James Bond in the future, which could be as early as the next film. Others want the franchise to go a step further and create the first-ever black female James Bond.
This was somewhat already achieved in No Time to Die (2021), when Lashana Lynch took a leading role as a secret agent. However, Daniel Craig remained the main protagonist for large parts of the film, despite already retiring from service. Suppose the producers do go down the route of a female Bond in future films. In that case, they may decide to keep the Bond Girls and tap into a bisexual or homosexual character, which would create even more minority representation on the big screen. Or they may get rid of the orthodox Bond Girls for good.
Source: DatingC
