Female James Bond idea was discussed before ‘Dr No’ was made
James Bond was pitched before 1962’s Dr. No was made, according to a new book.Lashana Lynch became the first woman in the long-running franchise to be given a 007 title in the last Bond outing, No Time To Die, but a woman hasn’t yet taken the titular lead singularly in the series.Now, in Nicholas Shakespeare’s upcoming biography of Bond author Ian Fleming, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man, it’s revealed that the idea of having a female Bond was first pitched over 60 years ago (via Variety).The book claims that producer Gregory Ratoff suggested the idea of casting five-time Oscar nominee Susan Hayward in a film adaptation of Fleming’s first Bond novel Casino Royale. In the book, Hayward writes (via IndieWire): “Since the mid-1950s, many well-known actors had been approached [to play Bond].“Gregory Ratoff had the arresting idea of having Bond played by a woman, Susan Hayward.