Last week, we told you our picks for seven alternate choices to play James Bond, both actors and actresses. This stemmed from Daniel Craig reportedly turning down close to $100 million to keep playing the super sleuth with incredibly picky martini taste. One name that didn’t make our list but we’re now kicking ourselves repeatedly because of it is Gillian Anderson. Lots of people, following the reports of Craig’s “no thank you,” started taking to social media wishing for Anderson to take on the role. And the star of The X-Files apparently agrees wholeheartedly.
As the UK’s The Telegraph reported on Monday, Twitter began erupting with calls for Gillian Anderson to be the first female James Bond.
is gillian anderson playing bond yet i need something good to look forward to
— ursie (@aIyciadebnrm) May 21, 2016
still rooting for a female bond tbh…aka gillian anderson because?? can you imagine how iconic
— charlene (@farmigabates) May 20, 2016
a concept: gillian anderson as bond and vera farmiga as her bond girl
— blanche dubowser (@txfandchill) May 20, 2016
yes, but we need to make an actual petition for Gillian Anderson to be the next bond.
— ALL CAPS X FILES (@ALLCAPSXFILES) May 20, 2016
Anderson herself responded to the cheers with a poster mock-up of herself as Jam—err Jane Bond.
It's Bond. Jane Bond.
Thanks for all the votes! (And sorry, don't know who made poster but I love it!) #NextBond pic.twitter.com/f8GC4ZuFgL— Gillian Anderson (@GillianA) May 21, 2016
The idea of a female James Bond would likely be met with disdain from a wide swath of fans, the same people who object to a lady taking up the mantle in Doctor Who, but for a film franchise that’s over 50 years old, with 24 movies under the belt, a fresh shake-up might be just the thing to breathe new life.
As the Telegraph article relays, some of the actors who’ve played Bond have differing opinions on the idea, with Craig saying “Sure, yeah, definitely. I think it’s a great idea,” but his predecessor Pierce Brosnan saying “I think it has to be a male. James Bond is a guy, he’s all male. His name is James, his name is James Bond.” To be fair, though, Brosnan did give his vote of confidence in a non-white actor playing Bond, even though he thinks they’ll ultimately cast another white guy.
As for Anderson, it’s probably a long shot, but given her beyond stellar performances in things like The X-Files, Hannibal, and The Fall, she’s definitely got the chops.
Let us know your thoughts on Gillian Bond in the comments below!
Tom Hiddleston wants to play James Bond also. Here’s that story!
Featured Image: Fox
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. Follow him on Twitter!
