The next James Bond actor should be willing to commit 10 to 12 years of their life to the franchise, producer says

• James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli says that the next actor should be ready for a 10-to-12-year commitment.
• "It's not just showing up for a couple of months of filming," she told Variety.
• Daniel Craig retired from the role after 15 years and five movies with last year's "No Time to Die."

The next James Bond should be willing to commit at least a decade of their life to the role, according to one of the franchise's producers.

"The thing is, it's going to be a couple of years off," producer Barbara Broccoli recently told Variety of the next movie. "And when we cast Bond, it's a 10-, 12-year commitment ... Not everybody wants to do that. It was hard enough getting [Daniel Craig to do it]."

Craig retired from the role after 15 years with last year's "No Time to Die," his fifth movie as Bond. It was one of the few pandemic-era hits at the box office, grossing $774 million worldwide.

"A lot of people think, 'Oh yeah, it'd be fun to do one,'" Broccoli said. "Well. That ain't gonna work."

"It's a big commitment," she added, "It's not just showing up for a couple of months of filming."

Broccoli and her fellow Bond producer Michael G. Wilson have been mum on who will follow in Craig's footsteps. But they hinted that the evolution of the franchise during the Craig era will continue, such as developing his character beyond being a womanizing spy.

"Bond is evolving just as men are evolving," Broccoli said. "I don't know who's evolving at a faster pace."

Broccoli previously ruled out a female Bond, but is open to a non-white actor in the role.

"I think it will be a man because I don't think a woman should play James Bond," she told The Hollywood Reporter last year. "I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men's roles. I don't think there are enough great roles for women, and it's very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race]."