Former Bond Girl Gemma Arterton Doesn't Think Audiences Want a Female 007: 'You Just Have to Respect the Tradition'

Former Bond girl Gemma Arterton is weighing in on the idea of a female Bond.

In a recent interview with The Times, the star, 38, surmised that a female version of the iconic British secret agent James Bond wouldn't be received well by a general audience.

"Isn't a female James Bond like Marry Poppins being played by a man?" the actress, who played Strawberry Fields in the 2008 Bond film Quantum of Solace, said. "They talk about it, but I think people would find it too outrageous."

She added, "Sometimes you just have to respect the tradition."

Related: From Connery to Craig, All the Actors Who've Played James Bond 

The idea of a female 007 has been floated around since Daniel Craig, who has played James Bond in five films since 2005, retired the role with 2021's No Time to Die.

"There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color," Craig, 56, told Radio Times in 2021. "Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"

Actress Rachel Weisz, also Craig's wife, expressed similar sentiments. She said Ian Fleming, who wrote the first Bond book in 1953, spent a long time crafting the character — including how Bond relates to women. Female actresses should not be boxed into that frame, she said.

“Why not create your own story rather than jumping on to the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?” she told The Telegraph.

She added, “Women are really fascinating and interesting and should get their own stories.”

Related: Aaron Taylor-Johnson Rumored to Have Been Offered Role as Next James Bond

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Since Craig left the franchise, several men have been rumored to be in the running for the role, including Saltburn’s Jacob Elordi,The Fall Guy’s Aaron Taylor-Johnson and The Boys in the Boat’s Callum Turner.

Other actors who played the spy include Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan.

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