The new 007 has finally been spotted in action.
Brit actress Lashana Lynch made headlines in July when rumors broke that she was taking over James Bond’s iconic designation in what was hyped as a “popcorn-dropping moment” from the franchise’s 25th movie.
Fast-forward two months: Lynch, 31, was snapped on the set of “No Time to Die” in Italy this week. She was clad head to toe in a black jumpsuit — with ample ammo attached.
After years of debate about a need for the franchise to freshen up, the woman who played fighter pilot Maria Rambeau opposite Brie Larson in the blockbuster “Captain Marvel” appears set to modernize the enduring action series.
And she’s doing it with an assist from screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, of Emmy-winning “Fleabag” and “Killing Eve” fame.
But relax, purist superfans: Lynch’s character, Nomi, is just taking James Bond’s secret agent number after he retires from MI6 — the martini man himself will still be played by Daniel Craig.
“Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don’t work on a brilliant, young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed,” a source told the Daily Mail earlier this summer.
The insider called her big reveal a “pivotal scene” when Bond is rallied out of retirement and introduced to Lynch as the new 007.
“Bond is still Bond but he’s been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman,” the source told the outlet. “This is a Bond for the modern era who will appeal to a younger generation while sticking true to what we all expect in a Bond film. There are spectacular chase sequences and fights, and Bond is still Bond but he’s having to learn to deal with the world of #MeToo.”
When filming commenced in April, a source told Page Six, “They don’t have a script, there’s no title, it is nearly five years since the last Bond. It starts with a retired Bond living in wedded bliss, but the rest of the script is still being worked over.”
Reportedly unhappy with the way things were going, Craig recruited Waller-Bridge to punch up Scott Z. Burns, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade’s dialogue. The plot is said to involve Bond jumping back into the fray to help rescue a scientist. He eventually encounters a new villain, played by Oscar winner Rami Malek.
Plus, Oscar winner Christoph Waltz, Emmy winner Ben Whishaw (“A Very English Scandal”), and Oscar nominees Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes are set to return in their recurring roles.
“No Time To Die” is set to hit US theaters April 8, 2020.