James Bond 'has to be a guy', says Helen Mirren

Dame Helen Mirren has said James Bond should be played by a man, even though she is "such a feminist".

In a new interview with Saga Magazine, the Oscar-winning actress said "you can't have a woman. It just doesn't work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else".

Amazon MGM Studios will produce the next iteration of the spy franchise, with Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight set to write what will become the 26th film in the series.

The US production and distribution company previously said it was planning a "fresh" take on franchise but would honour the "legacy" of the "iconic character".

Dame Helen, 80, is currently starring opposite former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan in the much anticipated film adaption of The Thursday Murder Club, in which she plays a retired spy.

Brosnan, 72, also told the magazine that he believed a male actor should continue to play Bond and he was excited to "see a whole new exuberance and life for this character".

He starred in four Bond films during his tenure as 007, starting with GoldenEye in 1995 and finishing with Die Another Day, which was released in 2002.

Dame Helen has previously been quoted saying that the concept of James Bond was "born out of profound sexism", and that women have always been an "incredibly important part" of the secret service.

The two actors are not the first to push back on the idea of a woman playing Bond.

Speaking at the Cannes Film Festival in May, Halle Berry, who also starred in Die Another Day, said: "In 2025, it's nice to say, 'Oh, she should be a woman.' But, I don't really know if I think that's the right thing to do."

The James Bond franchise was owned by the Broccoli family for more than 60 years, but producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson sold creative control to Amazon for a reported $1bn (£760m) earlier this year.

Speculation about who will next play the titular character has been rife, with British actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson and James Norton rumoured as frontrunners for the part.

There is no current release date for the next film.