nilcypher:

Pyronoid:
Short answer, no.

Long answer, no, because it would completely contradict the last oh so many films. James Bond suddenly transformed into a black guy.

As opposed to M suddenly transformed into a woman, which is clearly fine.

M is just a title. There could be a new M if the last one just resigned, was fired, retired, died, whatever. Thats like saying "Ommigod, my boss just turned into a woman!" when actually you just got a new boss.
But a black bond? Bond is supposed to be as british as possible and I know, as I live in britain, that there are very few british black people. Yes, there are africans, or americans or asian people, but they are very rarely british, they just happen to currnetly live in britain. Expanding from that, I don't know of any good, british black actors, so it would just be some american doing what they thought was a british accent, and all the british cinema-goers would cringe as they heard an obviously american person making a complete fool of themselves, like with Kensei in Heroes.

Rooster Cogburn:
As was said, "M" is a codename. It was explained in Goldeneye (right?) that there was a new "M," and her gender was even made note of.

Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are a reboot of the Bond franchise, as evidenced by Bond being made into a double-oh agent near the beginning, and yet the female M stays.

Supernovajake:
No, because it would be an obvious attempt to make everything stupidly politically correct.

Annnd, that's the correct answer.
I'm tired of all those people changing from white to black all of a sudden.
Nick Fury among others. You better have some great story explaining exactly why James Bond turns black all of a sudden because that's a very rare occurence in the real world.

They didn't have a great story as to why Bond suddenly stopped being Scottish, or suddenly became George Lazenby. Why should this be any different?

nilcypher:
Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are a reboot of the Bond franchise, as evidenced by Bond being made into a double-oh agent near the beginning, and yet the female M stays.

Huh, I guess you're right. Even that is a little annoying, but far less so for being an ancillary character.

nilcypher:

Rooster Cogburn:
As was said, "M" is a codename. It was explained in Goldeneye (right?) that there was a new "M," and her gender was even made note of.

Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace are a reboot of the Bond franchise, as evidenced by Bond being made into a double-oh agent near the beginning, and yet the female M stays.

Poor writing/continuity awareness on the part of the director and writers, I guess. Assuming it's the same M that starred in the Pierce Brosnan films, honestly I can't remember as it's been a while since I watched any Bond films, not seen Quantum of Solace yet either.

And yes, Bond should be made black and a woman and a lesbian and both mentally *and* physically disabled. He should be part asian as well. And a scientologist.

And a mutant.

No? I'll stick with my white male Bond the way he was written then.

James Bond's history never changes, he's the same man always. Drinking heavily and womanizing aren't part of MI6 Training. Bond is a Orphan, whose parents died in a rock-climbing accident. He was raised by the state and the only thing important to him is the duty. That's it. The death of his wife, the one woman he ever loved, is integral to the character. No matter how it appears in any of the stories after that point, no matter WHAT, Bond never loves again. Never connects again. He is damaged goods. He knows his time is running out. He drinks, smokes, womanizes, because it won't be those things that get him. He won't live long enough ti die of liver failure. He is one man and even though most people are exposed to his timeline completely out of order, it's important to keep it as close as possible to the original stories. That's why a lot of movies that aren't based on Fleming's novels (see: Moonraker) really bug me.

The character happens to by white, and changing him to black serves no purpose. If you're going to change James Bond, you better have a good goddamn reason.

That said, Black MI6 agent? Absolutely works. But he can't just be Bond, he needs his own story to tell and his own reason for strapping on the tux.

his own reason for strapping on the tux.

Because he's a snappy dresser who looks awesome in a tux. Does he need any more reason to dress up? I sure don't!

No. James Bond has his roots as a British special forces agent around 1920. Most new James Bond films are based around todays times so I guess its possible, but do you remember the uneasy atmosphere just byhaving a Bond with blonde hair? I don't think we will see a black guy anytime soon.

It can't possibly be the same M as from the Brosnan films unless she quit for a very long time and was then rehired.

As for the rest of your post, I think you might just be straw-manning me now. I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

A female Bond might be cool though, imagine that character re-imagined as a woman... with the right writer and director, that could be amazing.

In my opinion, it's not that there can't be a black Bond (I'm sure there will be some day, no doubt about it) it's more that it just wouldn't seem 'right'. Traditionally, Bond was a British MI6 agent protecting the free world from Communist countries like Russia and China (this has changed to protecting us from terrorism in the modern day), on top of all this he was also a classic 'British Gentleman' (male, white, middle-upper class, well educated and respectable).

What if we had a white guy do Huggy Bear in Startsky and Hutch? There's nothing saying that it can't happen but something would just strange about it.

As for the rest of your post, I think you might just be straw-manning me now. I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

Not you specifically, I was just mentioning everything I possibly could to tick off the Politically Correct list. I *think* I got everything. Understand that suggestion wasn't remotely serious nor was I using it as an argument.

It can't possibly be the same M as from the Brosnan films unless she quit for a very long time and was then rehired.

I was referring to the actress more than the character. If it's the same actress (which you seem to have implied it is by that) then I'm gonna throw blame on the directors/writers for screwing up continuity. Most ridiculous I must say.

A female Bond might be cool though, imagine that character re-imagined as a woman... with the right writer and director, that could be amazing.

I'd be interested in how they handle the womanizing aspect of his/her character definetly, whether they'd keep it as is or switch it to manizing.

Honestly I've not really got an issue with a black Bond as long as it's well written and it's a good actor. I don't see it happening in the near future simply due to the fans though and thus the Directors will be apprehensive to make such a bold move. If they pull it off it could be a defining point in their career, however it's more likely that people would hate it simply for changing a pre-established character in such a dramatic way.

Answer me this first: should their be a white Mr. T?
I thought so...

I don't see why there shouldn't be a black Bond. There are plenty of aspects that separate the Bond films from any other types, so it wouldn't alter anything too much. Of course it would have to be a good actor to pull it off, and perhaps a decent screenplay wouldn't hurt next time too.

SnowCold:
Answer me this first: should their be a white Mr. T?
I thought so...

That is totally different. James Bond is a fictional character, Mr T is a real live caricature.

nilcypher:
I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

Despite the fact that Ian Fleming wrote the character as a white male?

I kinda liked the new black Felix from the movies.

KSarty:

nilcypher:
I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

Despite the fact that Ian Fleming wrote the character as a white male?

Is being White essential to his character though? That's what the real question is.

No. Not least of all because Flemming commissioned an image of Bond as he imagined him, in which he is clearly white. Bond is what he is, and there's no significant or meaningful reason to change that.

I completly agree with you argument, nice job.

No, make something else if you want a black bond. I have nothing against race but honestly it's just out of place and not the character. Why potentially ruin a good thing by turning it black?

Unless the casting was pretty much "perfect", I wouldn't even bother seeing a black james bond because that would some what take away from my memories of james bond growing up. This is like saying "IS IT TIME FOR A CAT INSTEAD OF A MOUSE FOR MICKEY MOUSE... ER MICKEY CAT".

Again, just make a spy movie with a black guy. There you go. Don't go taking a perfectly fine IP and SPICING IT UP. That shit doesn't need spice. Next were gonna be turning Bond into a woman or a talking pig.

Amnestic:

KSarty:

nilcypher:
I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

Despite the fact that Ian Fleming wrote the character as a white male?

Is being White essential to his character though? That's what the real question is.

Why wouldn't it be?! Thats the way he was written, the way the author intended.

SHOULD is a bad choice of word. I would be fine with a black (or asian, or latino or marsian) Bond for as long as they chose actor based on who portrayed the role best, not his skin color (or planetary heritage).

KSarty:

Amnestic:

KSarty:

nilcypher:
I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

Despite the fact that Ian Fleming wrote the character as a white male?

Is being White essential to his character though? That's what the real question is.

Why wouldn't it be?! Thats the way he was written, the way the author intended.

He could be written wearing a black tux with left handed buttons, is it essential or can they change it to a dark blue tux with right handed buttons? It's a purely cosmetic change, surely, and if that's all it is, why would it matter if he's black or white?

Not trying to be racist, but Bond is a white male, wouldn't a black male mess up the continuity?

nilcypher:
It can't possibly be the same M as from the Brosnan films unless she quit for a very long time and was then rehired.

As for the rest of your post, I think you might just be straw-manning me now. I won't dispute that there are some quintessential characteristics that make Bond, but I wouldn't have said being white was one of them.

A female Bond might be cool though, imagine that character re-imagined as a woman... with the right writer and director, that could be amazing.

You mean he has a sex change...

No, as was previously mentioned it would be an example of political correctness gone mad, not to mention probably a little patronising. I would definitely be bothered, because Bond's character is fixed as a suave white male who likes a Martini, shaken not stirred and the odd beautiful woman every now and then. James Bond is a white man, and there is no reason whatsoever this should be changed.

sirdanrhodes:
Not trying to be racist, but Bond is a white male, wouldn't a black male mess up the continuity?

There is no continuity in the novels. Bond isn't even necessarily a real name, and there hasn't been any continuity in the acting thus far. One of the only real reasons he was not written as black was that the first novel was published in the 1950s and I don't think there were many black protagonists at that point in time.

bue519:
I kinda liked the new black Felix from the movies.

Yeah he works ok black, mostly because he is a fairly minor character. But I couldn't help but laugh when I first saw Casino Royale, because in the book Felix is described as being able to connect well with Negroes, or something like that

Bond being black would completely change storylines (might be a good thing seeing as they have run out of books though...)

I've got nothing against there being a black guy in a lead role in a film, but the character of Bond is a white, middle-aged man. I admit that M still being Dame Judy Dench in the latest two totally threw a spanner into the continuity, but I don't think that matters as much as changing the colour of the protagonist's skin.

Before we ask if there should be a black Bond, let's honestly ask this: why should there be a black Bond?

Seriously...

freakyHippo:
I think we are years away from seeing a black bond. In this country we don't have any other black people in top spying positions. Until we have a black Man from U.N.C.L.E or a black Saint i don't think we'll ever see a black bond.

Err... there is a black saint. He's called Moses the black.

This is retarded. Bond is a well established character...we know what he looks like.

galletea:
There is no continuity in the novels. Bond isn't even necessarily a real name, and there hasn't been any continuity in the acting thus far. One of the only real reasons he was not written as black was that the first novel was published in the 1950s and I don't think there were many black protagonists at that point in time.

Yeah, I'm sure Fleming originally intended to make Bond black, but decided not to because of the current social norms.

Penitent:
Before we ask if there should be a black Bond, let's honestly ask this: why should there be a black Bond?

Seriously, this guy hit it perfectly. Why would he be black. If him being white is such a minute attribute to you people, then why are you pushing for him to black.

The simple answer is 'no'; there is no questioning it, it's nothing to do with religion, ethnicity etc. It's about countless movies of James Bond in which he has always been white.

Whatever the first actors ethnicity was should be stook with for all Bond films.

KSarty:

galletea:
There is no continuity in the novels. Bond isn't even necessarily a real name, and there hasn't been any continuity in the acting thus far. One of the only real reasons he was not written as black was that the first novel was published in the 1950s and I don't think there were many black protagonists at that point in time.

Yeah, I'm sure Fleming originally intended to make Bond black, but decided not to because of the current social norms.

I'm merely saying that the social norm was that and that in a modern day setting there is no reason not to make him black.
Oh and I'm not pushing for him to be black, I could care less, I hate James Bond, I just see no reason to ensure that he stays white.