The next James Bond could be...

stulid · 9 Jan 2015 at 13:56

Shaft is a fictional character but I would not want to see a white man play that role.

antijoke · 9 Jan 2015 at 14:03

stulid said:
Shaft is a fictional character but I would not want to see a white man play that role.

Could you imagine the uproar if a white man was reumoured to play Shaft in Shaft (2020).

Holy crap, the internet would likely explode.

spudbynight · 9 Jan 2015 at 15:02

anticonscience said:
Could you imagine the uproar if a white man was reumoured to play Shaft in Shaft (2020).

Holy crap, the internet would likely explode.

Who's the white private dick, that's a sex machine to all the chicks?

SHAFT!

You're damn right.

spudbynight · 9 Jan 2015 at 15:07

Vonhelmet said:
The point is that race is an intrinsic factor in those characters because the stories concern race, racism, etc. I've yet to see it explained why race is intrinsic to Bond, particularly in the modern day when it's harder to argue a white establishment that would only employ white spies, or whatever.

By your logic there is no reason why James Bond couldn't be Jane Bond in the next film. However I strongly disagree. James Bond is a white role.

What next Mr T being cast as a white man in a new A-Team movie? Mr. T is a role that has little reference (if any) to race but I pity the fool that casts a white man in that role.

Some fictional characters are just black or white, male or female, it isn't a slight against anyone.

Vonhelmet · 9 Jan 2015 at 15:40

spudbynight said:
By your logic there is no reason why James Bond couldn't be Jane Bond in the next film. However I strongly disagree. James Bond is a white role.

What next Mr T being cast as a white man in a new A-Team movie? Mr. T is a role that has little reference (if any) to race but I pity the fool that casts a white man in that role.

Some fictional characters are just black or white, male or female, it isn't a slight against anyone.

There's an awful lot of "just because" logic in this argument.

As for Jane Bond, I'd need to be convinced that she was a physical match for her foes. You'd need someone comparably strong and vicious as Xenia Onatopp.

Uncle Petey · 9 Jan 2015 at 15:42

Tbh Von, your point about the establishment only hiring white spies isn't really logical based on Bond being white. It's not like he represents everyone they've got.

rubberduck · 9 Jan 2015 at 16:23

Should Moneypenny be a bloke then?

GeezerButler · 9 Jan 2015 at 16:30

Would be nothing more than a marketing gimmick to boost the franchise and give it a few more years. I think Idris Elba deserves better than that - like, oh I don't know, maybe a new character that he can take on and make his own and build a franchise off that.

Of course, that won't happen as it requires creativity and patience - things the modern film industry seems to lack. I mean why bother when you can just knock out another Transformers movie or reboot another superhero?

I'd rather they actually got on with bringing Luther to the cinema screen....I know it's still being actively discussed - hope it happens. Maybe they'll make a franchise out of that.

Vonhelmet · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:02

Uncle Petey said:
Tbh Von, your point about the establishment only hiring white spies isn't really logical based on Bond being white. It's not like he represents everyone they've got.

No, my point is that you can't even point to some sort of 50s era Britain where a black man might have struggled to get into such a position.

ShakenNstirred · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:03

Bond is meant to be a secret agent, someone black would standout like a sore thumb
in the world of bond

Posted from Overclockers.co.uk App for Android

Uncle Petey · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:07

Vonhelmet said:
No, my point is that you can't even point to some sort of 50s era Britain where a black man might have struggled to get into such a position.

Perhaps I missed the comment that it was in response to, but has anyone made that argument?

ShakenNstirred said:
Bond is meant to be a secret agent, someone black would standout like a sore thumb

Doesn't that really depend on the assignment and couldn't the reverse be equally true?

wazza300 · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:14

iz it coz I iz black miss moneypenny?

ShakenNstirred · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:18

Uncle Petey said:
Perhaps I missed the comment that it was in response to, but has anyone made that argument?

Doesn't that really depend on the assignment and couldn't the reverse be equally true?

yeah but very limited, but now they have ran out of books though they could write him anyway they like, but I still don't see it working.
I have grown up with bond from the 60s and he is white, somethings should just not be messed with

spudbynight · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:25

Vonhelmet said:
There's an awful lot of "just because" logic in this argument.

As for Jane Bond, I'd need to be convinced that she was a physical match for her foes. You'd need someone comparably strong and vicious as Xenia Onatopp.

So could a white actor play Mr T?

EDIT : In fact I mean B.A. Baracus but it shows how strong the association is.

FoxEye · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:32

ShakenNstirred said:
Bond is meant to be a secret agent, someone black would standout like a sore thumb
in the world of bond

Posted from Overclockers.co.uk App for Android

He's a secret agent that tells everyone his name, and all the villains always have his details on file

He's like the least secret agent, ever

My gut reaction was that this is a PC move, but upon actually thinking about it, I don't see really why he shouldn't be black. I'd be prepared to give him a chance in the role.

Besides, recent Bond films haven't been all that great, no matter the actor involved. The only decent Craig Bond so far has been Skyfall - the others were gash.

Vonhelmet · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:34

Uncle Petey said:
Perhaps I missed the comment that it was in response to, but has anyone made that argument?

No, but I was heading it off at the pass, as it's about the only plausible argument I could see if we were talking about Bond set in the 50s/60s. As we're not, it's not even relevant on that front. It's the same sort of reason we might once have objected to a female M, because a woman at that level would have been basically unthinkable in times gone by.

Uncle Petey · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:39

I'd agree with you if someone had made that point

My personal opinion on this is that it's not a matter of equality. Bond is Bond and he's a white guy.

rubberduck · 9 Jan 2015 at 17:49

FoxEye said:
The only decent Craig Bond so far has been Skyfall.

You were doing ok up to that point.

antijoke · 9 Jan 2015 at 18:11

Vonhelmet said:
No, but I was heading it off at the pass, as it's about the only plausible argument I could see if we were talking about Bond set in the 50s/60s. As we're not, it's not even relevant on that front. It's the same sort of reason we might once have objected to a female M, because a woman at that level would have been basically unthinkable in times gone by.

Or the fact he was created as a white man and there's no real sense, apart from it being a gimmick, to change that. That's the character that was created.

It's just one of those things, it's not racist that he'd stay white, and someone saying he should stay White is not a racist either.

Vonhelmet · 9 Jan 2015 at 18:27

anticonscience said:
Or the fact he was created as a white man and there's no real sense, apart from it being a gimmick, to change that. That's the character that was created.

It's just one of those things, it's not racist that he'd stay white, and someone saying he should stay White is not a racist either.

But why, and no one has yet answered this, is his skin colour sacrosanct, but not his height, build, hair colour, eye colour, age, manner...?