Amazon MGM Studios has announced that Denis Villeneuve will be the next James Bond director. He is known for directing blockbusters such as Dune, Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.
In a statement, Villeneuve said that he intends to “honour the tradition” of the films, with Bond being “scared territory” for him. Could this mean the next representation of Bond has a scar on his cheek, in line with the character’s description in the novel? Could it mean we will see yet another villain characterised by a visible difference? At Changing Faces, we’re hoping for the former.
Seeing a character as iconic as James Bond with scarring would be a refreshing step forward for the franchise, which has for too long used visible differences as a sign for evil.
Our campaigner Oliver shares his views:
“It’s time the James Bond franchise stopped using visible differences as a shortcut for villainy. It’s lazy and audiences deserve more creativity than that. There are real people from our community who live with these differences every day and are impacted by the negative stereotypes we so often see portrayed on screen.
“We are not villains, we are humans, and we should be represented as such. Enough is enough. Let’s normalise visible differences and remove the stigma. Denis Villeneuve has a chance to make change for good, and I hope he embraces it.”
Andrew Smart, Changing Faces’ Head of Communications, Campaigns and Digital adds:
“Why not have a James Bond with a scar? Not only does it align with the books, but it also allows people in the visible difference community to see themselves as the hero. We’re not saying that villains should never have visible differences, we’re saying that broader representation is needed.
“Denis Villeneuve could bring a fresh new image to James Bond, and we encourage him to do so.”