Update: Deadline has since updated its report to say that Nyong’o won’t star in Bond 25.
The upcoming Bond 25 is reportedly eyeing Lupita Nyong’o for its female lead. With the next installment in the Bond franchise marking Daniel Craig’s fifth (and likely final) outing as the British super-spy, and with Cary Fukunaga (True Detective) having replaced Danny Boyle as director, casting is now well underway.
The franchise is still on the lookout for its female lead, as well as its villain, both of which are roles that have traditionally carried considerable weight and relevance in the lengthy Bond canon. Though the road to Bond 25 has not been as smooth as past titles in the franchise have faced, the list of actors considered for the film’s beefier roles thus far have all been formidable choices. Actually getting those actors on board, however, has more often than not proved a frustrating experience for fans and Eon Productions alike.
With Bond 25 reportedly edging closer to finalizing its deal to bring recent best actor Oscar winner Rami Malek onboard as the film’s key villain, additional news from Deadline has revealed that another Oscar winner, Lupita Nyong’o, is now being considered to play the film’s lead female role, opposite Craig. Nyong’o’s career has gone from strength to strength ever since she made her first big screen appearance in 2013’s Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave, in which her emotional and devastating portrayal of a slave named Patsey earned her the Oscar for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Since then, she has delivered stellar performances in hits as huge as Disney’s live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book, the Star Wars franchise, and Black Panther.
At present, Nyong’o appears to be the only actress currently being seriously courted by Eon for the role, which bodes well for fans of the multi-talented performer, though there certainly has been no shortage of rumors regarding Bond 25’s additional female roles. Back in 2017, one of the most persistent rumors for Bond 25 was Suicide Squad star Cara Delevingne, though this fell by the wayside when it was announced that Lea Seydoux, who starred in Spectre as Dr. Madeleine Swan, was officially confirmed to return. Since then, rumors have persisted that Eon is looking for two more actresses to fill out the Bond 25 roster, with one of the two to play an MI6 agent. Other unconfirmed rumors have seen Seydoux’s Dr. Swann married to Bond at the start of the film, only to be killed off, leaving Bond to avenge her death.
Should Nyong’o become the next actress to join this latest (and long-awaited) Bond project, the film will most certainly be better off for it. In a time when actresses have thankfully moved beyond mere “Bond Girls” and instead now make up solid components to the overall plot of a James Bond film, Nyong’o is a talent who can truly deliver the intensity needed for the ever-evolving 007 franchise. Time will tell who eventually does end up being cast, of course, but for the time being, the mere possibility of seeing Lupita Nyong’o as an MI6 operative in Bond 25 is a real treat.
More: Every James Bond Movie Ever, Ranked Worst To Best
Source: Deadline
- Bond 25 Release Date: 2021-10-08
