Well, it looks like the next James Bond has traded one Oscar winner for another, sorta. Fresh off the addition of Best Actor winner Rami Malek to the cast, reportedly as the chief villain, comes word from Deadline that Lupita Nyong’o, recently rumored for a role, won’t be joining him.
That’s a shame because the 1-2 punch of Malek and Nyong’o would have been killer for the long-running spy franchise, and a good way to ensure Daniel Craig goes out on top. There aren’t any details on why things didn’t work out with Nyong’o, but I expect someone of a similar profile will be sought. There are two key female roles to be filled, one a fellow agent and another a villain.
Meanwhile, if you really need to get your Nyong’o spy fix, she’s part of Jessica Chastain’s all-female espionage film 355 along with Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, and Fan Bingbing.
Bond 25 opens February 14th 2020 directed by Cary Fukunaga.
