Former Bond girl Maryam d’Abo just dropped some controversial thoughts about who should play 007 next.

The actress who starred opposite Timothy Dalton in 1987’s The Living Daylights said Black actors shouldn’t get the James Bond role.

“Then don’t call it Bond,” d’Abo told The Daily Mail. “Call it something else. You can have a wonderful black hero, but then don’t call him James Bond.”

Her comments come as Aaron Pierre emerges as a top contender for the iconic spy role. The 31-year-old British actor just voiced Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King prequel and starred in Netflix’s action thriller Rebel Ridge.

Pierre has Curacaoan, Jamaican and Sierra Leonean ancestry. Industry insiders say Amazon MGM Studios is eyeing him to lead the Bond reboot, with filming potentially starting in 2026. But d’Abo thinks the character should stay true to Ian Fleming’s original vision.

“Personally, I would respect Ian Fleming books and keep James Bond being English and working for His Majesty’s Secret Service,” she said.

The 65-year-old actress played cellist Kara Milovy in The Living Daylights. She said she’d rather see Australian actor Jacob Elordi take the role. “He’s Australian, but so what?” d’Abo added.

Pierre isn’t the first black actor linked to Bond. Idris Elba was a fan favorite for years during Daniel Craig’s 15-year run. The Luther star is now 53 and considered too old for the physically demanding role.

Lashana Lynch briefly held the 007 designation in Craig’s final film, No Time to Die. But she played Agent Nomi, not James Bond himself.

Bond producer Barbara Broccoli said in 2024 that Craig’s replacement “will be a man” in his 30s. She added that “whiteness is not a given” for the next 007.

“If that opportunity ever presented itself, that would be insane,” Pierre said.

Bond films have always reflected their times. Sean Connery’s 1960s Bond was different from Roger Moore’s 1970s version. Pierce Brosnan brought 1990s sensibilities while Craig modernized the character for the 2000s.

The franchise has evolved before. Early Bond films featured outdated attitudes toward women and minorities.

While most of the world is more than ready for a Black bond, a segment of the population cannot handle diversity – even for fictional characters.

Disney faced massive backlash when it cast Halle Bailey as Ariel in 2023’s The Little Mermaid. Racist critics attacked the decision to make the traditionally white mermaid Black.

Amazon’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power also drew criticism for diverse casting. The show featured Black elves and dwarves, which some fans said contradicted J.R.R. Tolkien’s vision.

These casting decisions often split audiences. Supporters argue that representation matters and fictional characters can evolve. Critics claim it changes beloved source material too drastically.

Pierre hasn’t publicly commented on the Bond speculation. But his recent performances show he has the action chops for 007.

The actor also landed the lead role in HBO’s upcoming Green Lantern series Lanterns. He’ll play John Stewart, one of the most famous Black superheroes in DC Comics.