Skyfall’s Q has a message for the next James Bond: reinvent it “completely”
Ben Whishaw has a clear steer on what the next 007 must nail, just as a new James Bond film moves into development.
If you've been following the James Bond saga at all, you'll know there's always some drama when it comes to handing over the keys to the Aston Martin. With a fresh film officially in the works and the big 007 casting announcement lurking around the corner, the chat isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Even Ben Whishaw – Q himself from the Daniel Craig era – has now chimed in with his thoughts on what the franchise needs to get right next time.
The next James Bond film will see Denis Villeneuve at the helm, with a script from Steven Knight and production by Amy Pascal and David Heyman.
Ben Whishaw's Honest Take
In a recent chat with The Sunday Times, Ben Whishaw made it quite clear where he stands on Bond's future. Whishaw, who played MI6's resident tech genius Q across Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die, reckons it's time to drag Bond firmly into the present. According to him, everything needs a rethink – not just a tweak or two, but a full-on reinvention. His reasoning? The world's changed a fair bit since Craig hung up his tux.
He also admitted he doesn't sit around reminiscing about gadgets and secret lairs. For Whishaw, Bond is very much in the rearview mirror now. As he put it to the paper:
Ben Whishaw told The Sunday Times: "The world has changed so much since the last Bond film, so you have to find what is relevant about it. I think it needs to be reinvented completely. But it's not for me to say."
He's also well aware of the ongoing circus every time a new Bond actor is about to be named. The hype, according to Whishaw, is ramped up deliberately by the people running the show, and he didn't seem particularly fussed – just bemused by how secretive the whole production can get. Apparently, actors only get the script for their own scenes, which makes it more like MI6 onboarding than filming a blockbuster. For what it's worth, he finds the cloak-and-dagger approach faintly amusing, if a bit over the top.
The Next Chapter
So, what do we actually know about the forthcoming film? It's still untitled (classic Bond secrecy), but Denis Villeneuve is directing, which might raise a few eyebrows as he's fresh off sci-fi epics. The script comes from Steven Knight – yes, the bloke behind Peaky Blinders – and the production is in the hands of veteran powerhouses Amy Pascal and David Heyman. As for Whishaw, it sounds like he won't be back twiddling with gadgets in Q's basement any time soon.
- Ben Whishaw played Q in three films: Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die.
- He's not expected to return for the new film.
- Production is tightly under wraps, as always, fueling even more speculation around the franchise's direction and Daniel Craig's replacement.