Ben Whishaw, who played Q in three James Bond films alongside Daniel Craig, has said he believes the 007 franchise "needs to be reinvented completely" for its next instalment.
The 46-year-old appeared as Q, the quartermaster who heads MI6's research and development team, in Skyfall (2012), Spectre (2015) and No Time To Die (2021), Craig's final film as the secret agent.
Whishaw on the future of Bond
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Whishaw reflected on what comes next for the series.
"The world has changed so much since the last Bond film so you have to find what is relevant about it," he said. "I think it needs to be reinvented completely. But it's not for me to say."
Next Bond film in development
The hunt for the next Bond began in May and is believed to have reached its final stages, with Callum Turner, Jack Lowden and Josh O'Connor among the stars reportedly in contention for the role.
The next Bond film is in development, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight writing the script. Amy Pascal and David Heyman will produce the untitled project, and Dune's Denis Villeneuve will direct.
On the role of Q and the secrecy
Whishaw, who replaced John Cleese as Q, said his Bond character felt "unsatisfying" because, while there is a passing mention of his sexuality, it is not picked up on again. The actor, who came out as gay in 2013, added: "I rarely think about Bond. That would be weird."
Addressing speculation about who will replace Craig, who took over the role in 2006, he said: "People go crazy about it. It's all deliberate hype. When you are working on it, it's incredibly secretive, almost like being a spy. You only get the pages of the script that you are in. It's a ploy to create suspense and glamour, but it's kind of fun."
