British actor Lashana Lynch is set to take over James Bond’s code name, 007 in the forthcoming Bond 25 and will be introduced during a ‘pivotal’ scene at the start of the movie.

A film insider reveals:

“M says, ‘Come in 007,’ and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman.”

“It’s a popcorn-dropping moment. Bond is still Bond but he’s been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman.

“Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don’t work on a brilliant, young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed. Well, certainly not at the beginning.”

Well, I was on board until we got to that “certainly not at the beginning.” I was hoping Lashana would put an end to that silly Bond trope that every woman falls madly in love with him.

So… Does it?

“This is a Bond for the modern era who will appeal to a younger generation while sticking true to what we all expect in a Bond film,’ the source added. ‘There are spectacular chase sequences and fights, and Bond is still Bond but he’s having to learn to deal with the world of #MeToo.”

The as-yet-untitled new Bond movie has been written by Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge – who was brought in to help keep the saga relevant.

She said: “There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not Bond is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women.

“I think that’s b******s. I think he’s absolutely relevant now. [The franchise] has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to his character.”

(Photo: Avalon)