BOND 25 Will Reportedly Introduce Lashana Lynch As The New 007

Just last week a report surfaced lending credence to an earlier rumor that Christoph Waltz is reprising his role as Blofeld in Cary Fulkunaga's Bond 25 – though somewhat intriguing, it's not exactly surprising. But over the weekend, an even more interesting report began circulating: The Daily Mail claims Bond 25 will introduce a new Agent 007, played by Captain Marvel's Lashana Lynch, making her not only the first female 007, but the first black woman to take on the agent's iconic number. According to the report, Bond 25 begins with Daniel Craig's Bond having left MI6 and enjoying retirement in Jamaica. There is a scene early on in the film when Ralph Fiennes' M calls 007 into his office; instead of Bond – or another male spy – it's Lynch who enters the room in what's being described as a "popcorn-dropping moment." This plot development is said to have come from the brilliant mind of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the star and creator of Fleabag, who was brought in to help with rewrites (reportedly at the suggestion of Craig). 

Of course, it doesn't seem that Lynch will be holding on to the 007 tag for long, as Craig's Bond is drawn back into MI6 due to some new crisis. Still, replacing 007 with a black woman is an awesome development, and one that addresses a lot of the ongoing bickering online over whether a person of color and/or a woman could take over for Craig when he leaves the franchise. It's highly doubtful the powers-that-be would allow the franchise to head in this direction – allowing different actors to fill 007's shoes – but Lynch's casting, along with Waller-Bridge's involvement, signals some progress, which is definitely better than none.