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A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 options

The obvious solution to the 007 casting problem is to get over the Y-chromosome requirement.
THE X-FILES, Gillian Anderson, 'Founder's Mutation', (Season 10, ep. 1002, airs Jan. 25, 2016), 1993-2002. photo: Ed Araquel / TM and Copyright © 20th Century Fox Film Corp. All rights reserved. Photo, Ed Araquel /TM.

Since rumours surfaced that Daniel Craig isn't interested in staying on as 007, no obvious choice for casting the next James Bond has emerged. Just about every reasonably suave British actor's name has been thrown into the ring, with Tom Hiddleston, Idris Elba and head-scratcher Damian Lewis (aka Sgt. Brody from Homeland) emerging as frontrunners.

So what's a movie studio to do? What about — gasp — cast a woman?

Gillian Anderson has thrown her name into the ring, tweeting a poster of herself as "Jane Bond" with the hashtag #NextBond, which is just the kind of bravado necessary for the role. And while Anderson would make a fine Bond, if the role could go to a woman, it's wise to look at all the options. Below are eight women — all British, all over 40 — who meet the criteria for 007.

The Next 007

Elizabeth Hurley

Innate sex appeal is essential Bond, and who is sexier than Elizabeth Hurley (the voice! those eyes! that hair!) — or more due for a comeback?

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

Zeta-Jones has the brains, beauty and twinkle in her eye that are spot-on for Bond. Also, it’s high time she was on the other end of that Zorro undressed-by-sword scene.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Broadimage/REX/Shutterstock.

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Archie Panjabi

Anyone who has watched Panjabi play badass private investigator Kalinda Sharma on The Good Wife can easily imagine her as the type of 007 who is strong-willed, excellent at getting people to spill their secrets and willing to break the rules to save the day.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Charles Sykes/Invision/AP.

Rachel Weisz

She can definitely keep a secret, as her surprise 2011 marriage to current 007 Daniel Craig has proven. While Weisz has made clear she never wants to be a “Bond girl,” she has expressed a desire to take on roles traditionally written for men. Bonus: She’s already been cast as a British intelligence agent in an off-Broadway production of Plenty.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP.

Kate Beckinsdale

Beckinsale delivers as both tough-as-nails bad-guy-fighting heroes (see: Underworld franchise) and snooty aristocratic types (see: Love & Friendship). It's an unusual but winning Bond combination.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Broadimage / Rex Features.

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Thandie Newton

Incredibly intelligent, hauntingly beautiful and unafraid to stand up for what is right, Newton has what it takes to make a memorable 007.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Evan Agostini/Invision/AP.

Victoria Beckham

Spice World may be the sole credit on Beckham's filmography but being Bond isn’t about delivering an Oscar-worthy performance. The role is 80 percent looking damn fine in tailored clothes, 10 percent looking fierce and maybe 10 percent acting.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 options

Helena Bonham Carter

Sure, she’s eccentric, but what better way to throw enemies off your scent? Plus, Bonham Carter has played everything from a chimp to the Queen of Hearts, so a future in action films isn’t so hard to imagine. Mysterious and unpredictable, Bonham Carter would make a fine 007.

A woman should be the next Bond. Here are 8 optionsPhoto, Jonathan Short/Invision/AP.

More:
The burden of being a female star in a Woody Allen film
Women over 40 ruled the red carpet at Cannes
5 reasons every 19-year-old should read Lena Dunham’s new book

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