American fans hope that James Bond will never be gay, according to a new survey.
With the James Bond franchise still on the lookout for a new actor to replace Daniel Craig, the opportunity for representation has become a big topic.
Many are calling for British actor Idris Elba to be cast in the role, including Elba himself. But, it looks like others are more worried over a different type of representation.
A new survey by the Hollywood Reporter and Morning Consult asked James Bond fans if they would be willing to see a gay version of the character. The results found that most would not.
After conducting the National Tracking Poll #181115, the Morning Consult found that most fans of the franchise would like to make as little changes as possible.
A majority of the 2,086 U.S. adults who responded to the survey agreed that they would be most willing to see a Black James Bond take over the franchise. Specifically, 52% voted in favor, 29% voted against it, and 20% abstained.
Meanwhile, respondents were less leaning when it came to changing the character’s sexuality. More people were in favor of changing the character’s sex than his sexual orientation as 37% supported a female James Bond and only 28% supported a gay one.
Former James Bond star Pierce Brosnan shared his thoughts on a Gay or Black James Bond back in 2015 while talking to Details:
“Sure. Why not? Actually, I don’t know how it would work. I don’t think Barbara [Broccoli, the James Bond producer] would allow a gay Bond to happen in her lifetime. But it would certainly make for interesting viewing. Let’s start with a great black actor being James Bond. Idris Elba certainly has the physicality, the charisma, the presence. But I think Daniel [Craig] will be there for a while yet.”
The survey didn’t stop there, however, as it asked fans for their favorite Bond actor (Sean Connery) and Bond film (1964’s Goldfinger).