Anthony Behar

Daniel Craig on a woman playing James Bond: 'There should simply be better parts for women'

The upcoming "No Time To Die" is Daniel Craig's final film as James Bond.

He does not believe a woman should follow in his 007 footsteps, but not for the reason you might assume.

"The answer to that is very simple," the 53-year-old actor told Radio Times. "There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color. Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"

Rosamund Pike echoed Craig's sentiments in the past.

"I'd just say write a new story," Pike told UPROXX in April 2018. "I mean, James Bond is a character that Ian Fleming created. I mean, you know, of course the brand has become bigger and whatever, but take one of the Bond Girls and give her her own story. I think the character of James Bond is a man. He is, really. But I mean, to have such a character in a completely independent series, why should a woman get sort of sloppy seconds? Why should she have once been a man and now it has to be played by a woman? Why not make a kick-ass female agent in her own right?"

While on the subject of women's involvement in the iconic Bond franchise with Radio Times, Craig took the opportunity to single out "Fleabag" star Phoebe Waller-Bridger, who co-wrote the "No Time To Die" screenplay.

"She's got devilish humor," Craig added. "Her influence permeates a lot of this film. She walked that fantastic line of keeping it as a thriller and being very funny. But Phoebe didn't come in to change Bond. She came in to spice it up for sure, but she’s a Bond fan — she wasn’t about to take him in a different direction."

"No Time To Die" arrives in U.S. theaters on Oct. 8. Watch the final trailer below.

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