Lashana Lynch Confirms Her Character Takes Over as 007

Back in April, it was rumored that Lashana Lynch’s No Time to Die character would take over as 007, making her the first Black woman to assume the famous spy digits. Now, thanks to a new interview with Harper’s Bazaar, we have confirmation that she will indeed be stepping into the role in the upcoming movie.

As Indiewire notes, “No Time to Die picks up with Daniel Craig’s eponymous secret agent living in exile in Jamaica, and in his absence Lynch’s Nomi assumes the 007 moniker. Lynch isn’t the new Bond per se, but in taking over the 007 mantle she became a target of toxic Bond fans and internet trolls upset that a Black woman could fill in as 007.”

That online backlash was rough. As Harper’s Bazaar writes, “For a week, she deleted her social-media apps, meditated, and saw no one but family, while comforting herself with the knowledge that the aggressive comments were ultimately not personal.”

“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 told the publication. “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.”

Lynch also revealed she collaborated with co-writer Phoebe Waller Bridge to ensure her character was authentic. “A character that is too slick, a cast-iron figure? That’s completely against what I stand for,” she said. “I didn’t want to waste an opportunity when it came to what Nomi might represent. 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.”