Lashana Lynch Confirms She's The Next '007'

Lashana Lynch has confirmed that she is the next agent 007, the first Black female to play the coveted agent role.

Lynch was already announced to star as agent Nomi in the upcoming twenty-fifth installment in the James Bond series, No Time To Die.

While she was already verified to play an ’00’ agent, it has only just been confirmed that she will be the next 007.

If you are not familiar with the Bond world, allow us to explain the significance of the agent number, and why it is such a big feat for Lynch to play the role. 

In Ian Flemings' James Bond novels, those who are under the 00 Section of MI6 is considered the top agents of the secret service. 

Before the announcement, James Bond is the only agent who holds the '007' title. Thus awarding the agent number to Lynch becomes a symbolic move of representation and feminism.

Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, Lynch explained how she wants her portrayal of a Black female 007 to be ‘100% authentic’.

"I searched for at least one moment in the script where Black audience members would nod their heads, tutting at the reality but glad to see their real life represented. In every project I am part of, no matter the budget or genre, the Black experience that I’m presenting needs to be 100 percent authentic," Lynch said.

Last year, rumors about Lynch's potential take over for the '007' role spread, and the actress suffered a major backlash from people who are not ready for a strong, Black woman to play the lead agent.

Lynch received a lot of negative comments, forcing her to deactivate her social media accounts for a week.

Lynch managed to rise above the negativity and chose to see the bigger picture.

"I am one Black woman – if it were another Black woman cast in the role, it would have been the same conversation, she would have got the same attacks, the same abuse," Lynch said.

She added: "I just have to remind myself that the conversation is happening and that I’m a part of something that will be very, very revolutionary."

While we have already confirmed that Lynch will be filling out the role of 007, we are still waiting to find out who the next James Bond will be.

No Time To Die will be Daniel Craig’s last Bond movie.

There have been rumors regarding who will possibly replace Craig for the role, and names like Harry Styles, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and Henry Cavill are often mentioned.

However, all of these remain speculations for now. James Bond producers have confirmed last month that they are still looking for the next Bond.

"I always say: you can only be in love with one person at a time. Once the film’s come out, then some time will pass, and then we’ll have to get on to the business of the future. But for now, we just cannot think about anything beyond Daniel," Producer Barbara Broccoli said.

No Time To Die is set to release in April 2021.