Irish actor Pierce Brosnan, who portrayed James Bond from 1995 to 2002, firmly believes that the next agent 007 must be British, as a leaked document suggests the character will remain a male. Despite the speculation that an American might land the role, Brosnan emphasizes the “given” aspect of a British Bond.

The 71-year-old actor also considers it the right move for the franchise’s creative control to pass to Amazon-MGM, commending their courage to handle the character with “dignity and imagination and respect.” With a £770m sale to the streaming giant, Brothers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson will step back amid disagreements over the franchise’s future.

Wilson and Broccoli, who have been running the franchise for decades as the children of Albert “Cubby” Broccoli, will retain ownership but not creative control, marking a shift after years of management and turmoil over the spy’s direction.

After the handover agreement, Wilson expressed his reluctance to outsource intellectual property, which Broccoli concurred with, stating that it was not their desired course of action.

There is speculation about a new Bond film as we approach the four-year milestone since Daniel Craig’s last appearance. Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, and James Norton have emerged as leading candidates for the role. A leaked policy from Amazon allegedly states that the chosen actor must be British or Commonwealth and male.

Reactions from fans have varied, with some expressing concerns that an American lead or a non-white actor could be considered or that the character’s sexuality might be explored in future iterations.

Bond, despite being a high-spirited character often parodied in films like Austin Powers, is traditionally depicted as straight. Brosnan has previously mentioned that Broccoli wouldn’t consider a gay Bond during her lifetime, yet was open to the idea. Others hope Amazon will modernize the character’s portrayal to remain relevant to contemporary audiences.