Phoebe Waller-Bridge Promises Bond 25 Will Treat Its Female Characters Better

After a slew of behind-the-scenes changes, the 25th James Bond film is finally getting off the ground -- and it looks like it's bringing a more modern sensibility along with it. Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who was recently brought on to polish the film's script, spoke about the project in a recent interview with Deadline. Waller-Bridge, who created the beloved TV shows Fleabag and Killing Eve, revealed how she will be bringing a feminist approach to the project without changing who James Bond is as a character.

"There's been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women," Waller-Bridge explained. "I think that's bollocks. I think he's absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn't have to. He needs to be true to this character."

Bond 25 will feature quite a few fan-favorite actresses, with Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel) playing Nomi, Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) playing Paloma, and Lea Seydoux (Death Stranding) playing Madeleine Swann. As Waller-Bridge put it, she wanted to make sure each of the actress' roles "felt like real people".

"I just want 
to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana, Léa and Ana open them and go, 'I can't wait to do that.'" Waller-Bridge revealed. "As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career. That brings me much pleasure, knowing that I'm giving that to an actress."

Waller-Bridge also spoke about her approach to Daniel Craig's James Bond, who she has had an appreciation for for a while.

"When I saw his Bond for the first time, there was a wryness to his performance that I really loved," Waller-Bridge added. "So, I was really excited about writing dialogue for him. I mean, the script was there. It's already there. I think it's unfair to say that I'm writing the script."

Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.

The cast of Bond 25 will also include Ben Winshaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ralph Fiennes, and Rami Malek. The film will be directed by Cary Fukunaga.

Are you excited to see what Waller-Bridge brings to Bond 25? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

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