James Bond Producers Don't Want the Next 007 to Be a Daniel Craig Copycat

James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson have said that they're looking for Daniel Craig's successor to "reimagine" the role of 007.

In an interview with Total Film, Broccoli, a longtime producer of the franchise, confirmed that the team had not yet found an actor to fill the soon-to-be vacant James Bond role, though she expressed her confidence in finding the "right person" to step into the tuxedo after Craig's final outing as 007 in the 25th Bond film, No Time To Die, which is now scheduled to hit theaters in 2021.

"I always say: you can only be in love with one person at a time. Once the film's come out, then some time will pass, and then we'll have to get on to the business of the future. But for now, we just cannot think about anything beyond Daniel [Craig]," Broccoli said. "It will have to be reimagined, in the way each actor has reimagined the role. That's what is so exciting and fun about this franchise; the character evolves. Eventually, when we have to think about it, we'll find the right person."

Admittedly, Broccoli and her half-brother Michael G. Wilson haven't yet determined who the "right person" for the iconic role will be, however, Broccoli revealed that she is standing firm in her earlier casting opinion that 007 could be played by a person of colour, but not a woman. "He doesn't need to be a white man. Not as far as I'm concerned," Broccoli reiterated. "We should create roles for women, not just turn a man into a woman."

With Daniel Craig suiting up to play James Bond for the fifth and final time, the rumour mill has been in overdrive with speculation about who will succeed him in the role of 007. Tom Hardy is the most recent name to hit the headlines but, without official confirmation, he currently joins a slew of stars that have been erroneously labeled as being "the next James Bond." You can find the rest of those names in our gallery below:

The Next James Bonds Who Never Played 007

Craig has portrayed the 007 agent on-screen since 2006's Casino Royale. He reprised the role in 2008's Quantum of Solace, 2012's Skyfall and 2015's Spectre, all of which have collectively grossed more than $3.1 billion at the worldwide box office. In light of that success, the Bond veteran had a few words of wisdom to pass onto his successor. In a recent interview, he told the next actor to not "f**k it up."

On his forthcoming assignment, Craig's Bond will have his peaceful retirement from active service interrupted when Felix Leiter tracks him down in Jamaica, seeking help to rescue a kidnapped scientist. The mission will set Bond onto the "trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology." It has already been speculated that Rami Malek's supervillain could be a rebooted version of Dr. No.

Unfortunately, we'll have to wait a little while longer to find out, as the release date for the 25th Bond film has been pushed back for the second time due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. No Time To Die will now be released in April 2021, a year after it was originally set to hit the big screen, so that it can hopefully be watched by a worldwide theatrical audience.

Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.