No Time to Die Star Lashana Lynch Details Racist Harassment She Received After 007 Status was Leaked

Last summer brought the surprise reveal from unnamed sources that the upcoming No Time to Die will see someone other than James Bond carrying the "007" title at MI6, with the new agent being the character played by Marvel actress Lashana Lynch, marking the first time that a woman or a black character has been 007. The reports spread like wildfire and though it was never confirmed at the time, it was since revealed to be accurate. As one might imagine, this news was met with a jovial response from one side of the internet, and boarish jeers from the always present underbelly of online fandoms. In a new interview, Lynch details her response to the harassment that took place after the news was revealed to the world.

"I am one Black woman – if it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse," Lynch said while speaking with Harpers Bazaar. "I just have to remind myself that the conversation is happening and that I'm a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary."

She had a similar reaction in another interview almost a year ago, to give you an idea of how long the wait for this movie and the toxic reaction to her role has been in play. Lynch previously told The Hollywood Reporter about the response, saying: "It doesn't dishearten me. It makes me feel quite sad for some people because their opinions, they're not even from a mean place — they're actually from a sad place. It's not about me. People are reacting to an idea, which has nothing to do with my life."

Lynch confirmed the accuracy of the report in the Harpers Bazaar interview, having previously never noted the integer that her character Nomi would have attached to their "00" status. The actress went on to talk about what brought her to the part and how she realized it wasn't going to be her playing second fiddle to Daniel Craig's character since director Cary Joji Fukunaga and series producer Barbara Broccoli were on the same page as her and wanted to craft a character that stood in direct contrast to Bond and his history.

Originally scheduled to debut in April of this year, No Time to Die was pushed to November of 2020 days after tickets first went on sale. A month ago it was pushed once again to April of 2021 and will arrive a full year after it was originally scheduled to. Currently set to arrive on April 2, 2021