Actor Ben Whishaw starred in the James Bond films Skyfall, Spectre and No Time To Die as tech expert Q, but he doesn't think he'll return for the next film. Whishaw said in a recent interview that he expects the role of Q, and all other major roles, to be recast.
“I don't think I'll be in the next movie,” he told the BBC, as reported by Variety. “I think they're going to do it all over again, and with a new cast, a completely new cast. I think that's my hunch, but I don't know. I have no idea.”
Although Whishaw believes a reboot of sorts with new actors could be good for the 007 series, he would return if the producers wanted him to.
“I think it needs to be given a new lease of life and a new group of people,” he said. “But if I was asked, I would do it, of course.”
Not much is known about the upcoming James Bond film, which will be the 26th in the series. However, it is confirmed that Daniel Craig, who played the British superspy in five James Bond films, has finished filming and the role has been given to a new character. The latest rumor is that Aaron Taylor-Johnson is the frontrunner, and some believe his name was leaked to the press to see what the public reaction might be.
Regardless, those details should be fleshed out over time as producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson get to work putting the film together. The film is being billed as a “reimagining” of the series and the title character, so if that's true, Whishaw's belief that the producers are recasting the lead roles makes sense.
Before Whishaw played Q, the role was played by actor Desmond Llewelyn from 1963 to 1999, before being succeeded by John Cleese. Whishaw will once again star in Paddington in Peru.
In addition to a new Bond film, Hitman developer IO is creating a James Bond video game that tells an original story set in the Bond universe.