The former 007 star reflects on Mirren’s viral comments, the future of James Bond, and whether he’d ever return as an older version of the iconic spy.
Los Angeles, April 4: Pierce Brosnan, who played James Bond across four films from 1995 to 2002, has weighed in on Helen Mirren’s recent criticism of the franchise, admitting to People magazine that the legendary actor “wasn’t wrong” to call out the franchise’s history of sexism.
“She let them have it,” Brosnan said of Mirren’s viral interview with The Standard. “Yes, there’s a certain agreement there. But there’s a certain world and room to move within the proscenium arch of what [Bond creator] Ian Fleming put down. So there’s always going to be conflict.”
🎭 Mirren on Bond: ‘Born Out of Profound Sexism’
Helen Mirren made headlines recently for candidly stating that she “never liked” the Bond films due to “the way women were” treated. She also opposed the idea of a female James Bond, instead encouraging studios to develop original stories about real-life female spies.
“The whole concept of James Bond is drenched and born out of profound sexism,” Mirren said. “Women have always been a major and incredibly important part of the Secret Service… unbelievably courageous. So I would tell real stories about extraordinary women who’ve worked in that world.”
Her stance echoes that of Ana de Armas, who starred in No Time to Die. At CinemaCon, de Armas told Variety:
“Let James be James and John Wick be John Wick. We’ll do our thing.”
🎥 Brosnan: Ready to Return ‘In a Pinch’?
Although Brosnan’s run as Bond ended with Die Another Day (2002), he recently expressed openness to a potential return—if the story were right.
“Let’s see where the wind takes us. Let’s see what happens. They know where to find me,” Brosnan said on Today. “Why not? There are great things you can do with AI as well… I’m quite content the way it is, but I could come back in a pinch.”
🔮 The Future of Bond
With Amazon MGM now holding creative control of the James Bond franchise, the studio has promised a “fresh, exotic new chapter” in the saga. Whether that includes a more modern or inclusive interpretation of the 007 universe remains to be seen.