Actor Ben Whishaw, who played tech expert Q in the James Bond films Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die, doesn’t believe he’ll be in the next film return. Whishaw said in a recent interview that he expects the character of Q, as well as all other major characters, to be recast.
“I don’t think I’m going to be in the next one,” he told the BBC, according to Variety. “I think they’re going to start over and have a new cast, a whole new cast. I think it’s me A hunch, but I don’t know.”
While Whishaw believes that a reboot and the introduction of new actors could be beneficial to the 007 franchise, he will return if the producers need him.
“I think it probably needs new life and a whole new group of people,” he said. “But of course I would do it if they asked me.”
Not much is known about the next James Bond film, which will be the 26th in the series. However, it has been confirmed that Daniel Craig, who played the British super spy in five Bond films, is no longer taking on the role, with the role having been passed on to a newcomer. The latest rumors have Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the frontrunner, with some believing his name was leaked to the media to gauge public reaction.
Regardless, these details should come together in time as producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson work on putting the film together. The film is said to be a “reimagining” of the series and its protagonist, so if that’s true, it would seem to make sense for Whishaw to believe the producers are recasting the main characters.
Before Whishaw took on the role of Q, the character was played by actor Desmond Llewelyn from 1963 to 1999, when John Cleese took over. Whishaw will next be seen in Paddington, Peru.
In addition to a new Bond film, Hitman developer IO is also working on a James Bond video game that will tell original stories from the Bond universe.