Next James Bond Movie to Reportedly Introduce Lashana Lynch as First Black and Female 007

There still is quite a lot of mystery surrounding the upcoming James Bond film, down to the film's currently-unknown title. But if a new report from The Daily Mail is any indication, Bond 25 could bring about a watershed moment for the iconic franchise. The report indicates that Lashana Lynch's character in the film will be a new MI6 agent, who ultimately succeeds James Bond (Daniel Craig) in the 007 mantle. This would make the actress - who previously portrayed Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel - the first woman and person of color to take over the famous codename.

It was previously revealed that Bond 25 will see Craig's Bond coming out of retirement after M (Ralph Fiennes) calls on him to tackle a new global crisis. As a source reveals in the report, this is where's Lynch's version of 007 will come into play.

"There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M says 'Come in 007', and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman." the source explained. "It's a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he's been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman."

"Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don't work on a brilliant, young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed." the source continues. "Well, certainly not at the beginning."

The source goes on to praise both Lynch's performance and the film's feminist script, which is written by Fleabag and Killing Eve's Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The film will reportedly serve as a send-up to the past decades of James Bond, down to Lynch's outfit mirroring Roger Moore's safari suit. All of that will coincide with a fresh, modern take on the franchise, with the film's female characters even reportedly being referred to as "Bond women" as opposed to "Bond girls".

"Lashana is absolutely brilliant and Phoebe's script is as sharp and funny as you would expect. This Bond pays tribute to some of the earlier films with a lot of humour." the source reveals. "This is a Bond for the modern era who will appeal to a younger generation while sticking true to what we all expect in a Bond film,' the source added. 'There are spectacular chase sequences and fights, and Bond is still Bond but he's having to learn to deal with the world of #MeToo."

This news about Lynch's role comes after years of speculation about what the future of the James Bond franchise would hold, with many clamoring for a woman or a person of color to take on the iconic role.

"Bond is male," franchise producer Barbara Broccoli said in 2018. "He's a male character. He was written as a male and I think he'll probably stay as a male. And that's fine. We don't have to turn male characters into women. Let's just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters."

To an extent, these details surrounding Lynch's character provide the best of both worlds, lining up with Broccoli's comments about Bond remaining a male character, while also providing room for more diversity in the iconic franchise.

What do you think of the latest report around Bond 25? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Bond 25 is expected to debut on April 8, 2020.