James Bond actor Ben Whishaw is thrilled at the prospect of working with director Danny Boyle in 007’s next big screen outing. Whishaw portrayed Bond’s long-suffering gadget man Q in both 2012’s Skyfall and 2015’s Spectre, taking up the mantle from comedy legend John Cleese, who himself inherited the role from the man who made Q such a memorable character in the first place, Desmond Llewelyn. Although Whishaw had some sizeable shoes to fill, the actor was well received by Bond fans and his movie career was elevated at a result, with Whishaw voicing the titular Bear in the Paddington franchise and set to play Mr. Banks in Mary Poppins Returns.

Whishaw is also expected to appear in the next James Bond movie, the 25th in the series. Although there remains no word on a potential title or story for the next installment, it was confirmed in March that 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle had signed on to the project. In a somewhat more surprising turn of events, it was also announced that Daniel Craig would be reprising his role as 007, contradicting suggestions made while promoting Spectre that he was finished with the franchise.

Speaking at a screening of A Very English Scandal (via THR), Ben Whishaw stated that while he has yet to officially hear anything regarding Bond 25, he is tremendously excited about the prospect of working with fellow Brit, Danny Boyle. Asked at the screening for an update on the next Bond, Whishaw replied:

While it’s perhaps a little concerning that Whishaw doesn’t sound 100% sure how many James Bond movies he actually agreed to appear in, it’s probably fair to say that many Bond fans share his excitement about Danny Boyle stepping behind the camera. The Oscar-winning director has established himself as a modern day cinematic visionary in a number of different genres and is particularly adept at telling grounded and gritty human stories - something that has been a key trait of Craig-era Bond.

“Nothing yet. But I think it’s not happening until the end of the year, so I have no idea. I know as much as you do! I believe I’m contracted to be in it. That’s as much as I know… I was thrilled when I read that he [Danny Boyle] was going to be doing it. I can’t think of a better, more exciting director for Daniel [Craig], for the way that he’s taken the character. I think it’ll be really exciting to work with him. I’ve been such a big fan.”

However, it’s likely not everyone will agree with Whishaw’s suggestion that Boyle and Craig are a dream duo. Spectre seemed to bring the story of Daniel Craig’s Bond to a close, tying together plot threads from his previous films and telling the story of a hero heading towards the end of his spying career. As such, it’s not immediately obvious where another Craig-fronted adventure could go and after the actor’s negative comments regarding the arduous task of filming another James Bond movie, it perhaps would’ve been preferable for Boyle to work with a fresh face in the starring role.

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Source: THR

  • Bond 25 Release Date: 2021-10-08