A James Bond movie is nothing without a great Bond girl. Such a character is usually a love interest, mission partner, or (occasionally) an enemy of the famous fictional British spy. The idea of the Bond girl began in Ian Fleming’s novels. According to The Times, the author’s one-time lover, Muriel Wright, was the fons et origo of this taxonomy of ladies. The report reveals that she had all the common Bond girl traits. She was “pliant and undemanding, beautiful but innocent, outdoorsy, physically tough, implicitly vulnerable and uncomplaining.”
With Amazon rebooting the Bond franchise, it’ll be interesting to see which Bond girls pop up. Will the older versions of the love interests be brought back, or will new ones be created? Well, it would be fun to see some old Bond girls back, given how good they were. After all, iconic Bond characters like M, C, Moneypenny, and Blofeld have often been recast.
Here are Bond girls that should return, and who should play them.
10
Octopussy
Ideal Actress: Priyanka Chopra
Appearing in the 1983 movie of the same name, Octopussy is the leader of the all-female octopus cult. Born to a British colonial officer and raised in India, she took over her dad’s circus business and transformed it into a jewel smuggling front. She initially aligns with the villainous Kamal Khan, but later teams up with James Bond when betrayed.
The Heritage and the Experience
Apart from the rich, colorful atmosphere, evoking the bubbly, windswept lake-filled environment of Udaipur, India, and the hustle-powered lifestyle of its residents, Octopussy is distinguished by Maud Adams’ superlative performance. She owns the character, and we bet Priyanka Chopra would, too. Chopra’s Indian origin aligns brilliantly with that of Octopussy, and, through roles in Heads of State, Citadel, and Quantico, she has proven that she is comfortable in productions that blend espionage with action.
9
Vesper Lynd
Ideal actress: Anya Taylor-Joy
When the terrorist banker, Le Chiffre, proves to be a major threat, MI6 starts digging into his activities. This is how James Bond runs into his government colleague, Vesper Lynd, in Casino Royale. She is introduced as a British Treasury agent assigned to oversee the agent’s use of government funds in a high-stakes poker game against the iconic villain. The two fall for each other, only for her to betray him after being blackmailed by Quantum.
Taylor-Joy Played a Character with a Similar Arc
It would take a great actress to portray a character who is the perfect representation of the pain and poison we conceal under our smiles, and who must navigate the bewildering choices she faces. Eva Green was able to do it brilliantly, and Anya Taylor-Joy could, too. Just watch her in Peaky Blinders, where she oozes sexiness but is quite the scheming lady who puts herself first, and manipulates her husband.
8
Anya Amasova
Ideal actress: Scarlett Johansson
Anya Amasova, aka, Agent Triple X, is a KGB spy investigating the disappearance of nuclear submarines. She appears no-nonsense and mature in her handling of all the amorous men she faces, but deep down, she has a romantic precociousness of her own. She experiences a full sexual awakening when she meets Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me, and forgives him, even after learning Bond killed her lover during a previous mission.
Familiar with the Secret Ops Business
The romantic aesthetic between Anya and Bond really blossoms when they shoot together through submarine corridors and ride along wavy coastal highways. Who could recreate these scenes as brilliantly as Barbara Bach did in The Spy Who Loved Me? Scarlett Johansson. Her work in Black Widow and the MCU at large shows us that she is a great fit for a spy with Russian origins. Additionally, she handles romance arcs well. Peek into Under the Skin and Marriage Story.
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7
Jinx
Ideal actress: Lupita Nyong’o
Die Another Day has some mind games you won’t mind playing, and Giacinta “Jinx” Johnson is at the center of them. A reliable NSA agent, she teams up with Bond to look into the activities of Colonel Tan-Sun Moon, aka Sir Gustav Graves, a North Korean military colonel attempting to unite the Korean peninsula.
People’s Most Beautiful Woman
Jinx is quite the darling. She has the looks and the toughness, and isn’t intimidated by Bond in any way. A rebooted version of the character would also need an actress who is considered an emblem of beauty like Halle Berry. And there is no one more suited than Lupita Nyong’o. Like Berry, Nyong’o not only has an Oscar, but she was once named the Most Beautiful Woman by People Magazine. But can she make a good spy? Sure? Check out The 355.
6
Melina Havelock
Ideal actress: Sydney Sweeney
Melina Havelock from For Yours Only is a Greek marine archaeologist who embarks on a vengeance mission after her parents get murdered by a Cuban hit squad under Kristatos’ orders. Perfect with a crossbow and good underwater, she proves lethal. Soon, her personal feelings get in the way of business.
Woman of the Hour
Carole Bouquet, who had unsuccessfully auditioned for the role of Holly Goodhead in Moonraker, Woods plays Melona with delicate charm, and her actions are propelled by endless suave charisma. A few modern actresses would bring the same energy that Bouquet did, but Sydney Sweeney would suit the character better given her current Hollywood standing, how good she has been when playing romantic characters, and her brilliance in heroic roles (Madame Web and Immaculate).
5
Wai Lin
Ideal actress: Maggie Q
Wai Lin is a martial arts expert and spy for the Ministry of State Security of the People’s Republic of China in Tomorrow Never Dies. She is tasked with investigating the disappearance of stealth material from a People’s Liberation Army base, an act linked to media mogul Elliot Carver, who plans to trigger a war between China and the United Kingdom. She then bonds with Bond after finding him working on the same case.
One of the Best Action Stars in the Business
Wai Lin might not be the distraught and despairing Bond girl determined to seek help against oppressors, but she remains outstanding as she embarks on a painfully cathartic, adrenaline-packed quest to apprehend Carver and unravel the rationale behind his actions. The ever-brilliant Michelle Yeoh doesn’t disappoint, and Maggie Q is the only person who can match her since she is not only of Asian descent, but she has had plenty of experience with espionage and action-related roles in Nikita, Mission: Impossible III, The Protégé, Stalker, and Ballard.
4
May Day
Ideal actress Jodie Turner Smith
A View to Kill’s May Day is not only an exceptional Bond girl, but also one of the franchise’s best lackeys. She is initially under the payroll of Max Zorin, who plans to wipe out Silicon Valley, but opts to betray him when he leaves her behind during a mine explosion. May Day then becomes one of the protagonist’s many sexual conquests.
Day & Bond
It has been reported that the working relationship Grace Jones and Roger Moore was not good: Moore resented Jones’ method acting, while the Brit made unflattering remarks about the leading lady’s character. Impressively, none of the on-set antagonism is visible in the movie. May Day is super cool, and, perhaps, Jodie Turner Smith is the only other star who can walk Jones’ heels. She’s already been to similar territories, having recently starred in The Agency. Like Jones, Smith is also quite the imposing figure, as proved in Without Remorse and Queen & Slim.
3
Pussy Galore
Ideal actress: Margot Robbie
Pussy Galore is introduced as bullion dealer Auric Goldfinger’s personal pilot and leader of the Flying Circus, who aids her boss in his plan to raid Fort Knox. She initially turns down Bond, but, like every woman he meets, he manages to woo her to his side.
Sweet-Natured Yet Lethal
Goldfinger, a masterful adaptation of Ian Fleming’s seventh novel, is considered by many as the greatest Bond movie. It was directed by Guy Hamilton, who abridged the author’s long-winded tale into a beautifully paced 110-minute film. But most credit goes to Connery and Honor Blackman. The latter’s playfulness and charm can be matched by none other than Margot Robbie, who is great at portraying characters who are playful one minute, and evil the next minute. The Suicide Squad and Harley Queen are great references.
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2
Honey Ryder
Ideal actress: Florence Pugh
With a documentary-style flair and stunning locations, Dr. No evokes poignant themes of Cold War paranoia and post-colonialist camaraderie in a striking neo-realist fashion. Honey Ryder is a resourceful shell diver in Jamaica, whose traumatic past has seemingly hardened her. She falls for Bond while investigating Dr. No’s Crab Key island.
Pugh is Ryder in Real Life
Has there ever been a more iconic scene in cinema than that of Honey Ryder emerging from the sea in a white bikini carrying two large conch shells? Swiss actress Ursula Andress ate it all up, and did a great job channeling the mannerisms of a more submissive Bond girl willing to let Bond blow her away. Such a role could be handled by many gorgeous modern Hollywood stars, but we’d nominate Florence Pugh, based on her work in the MCU and the mesmerizing nature of her bikini pics. See her perfect Honey Ryder moment, here.
1
Teresa di Vicenzo, aka, Tracy Bond
Ideal actress: Zendaya
Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, later Tracy Bond, from In Her Majesty’s Secret Service, is the daughter of crime boss Marc-Ange Draco, who struggles with depression and immerses herself in a la vida dolce lifestyle until she meets James Bond. He manages to melt her icy exterior, but becomes enamored, himself. What’s a smitten spy to do when he has found ‘the one’? Bond courts and weds her, only for her to be tragically murdered by Blofeld’s right-hand-woman in a drive-by shooting just moments after the wedding.
Great Resume, Similar Roles
Tracy makes us cry every time we think about her. Thankfully, fans still managed to see a version of Bond who wasn’t commitment-phobic in Spectre and No Time to Die. Still, it would be great to have Tracy back. For this role, we’ll need someone who is a hopeless romantic but is fiercely independent. Someone like Zendaya. See her in Challengers, Malcolm & Marie, and the Spider-Man movies, to see just how much of Tracy Bond’s DNA she has inside of her.
