We've had our April Fools fun with our "exclusive announcement" of the new James Bond... However, the article got tongues wagging in the Euronews office and beyond. If a woman was cast as 007, what could her "Bond boys" co-stars look like?
Here's some fantasy casting for the likely lads...
Regé-Jean Page: The love interest
Just as Daniel Craig had Eva Green, our April Fools pick for 007 Jessie Buckley could have Regé-Jean Page, the 38-year-old British actor best known for his swoon-worthy role of the Duke of Hastings in Bridgerton. His versatility and effortless suave make him the perfect casting for a Bond love interest - easy to fall for but subtly deceptive. Our ideal name for him? Fernando Ferrari. By day, he works as a Foreign Office diplomat. By night, he runs a motivational podcast about working out. He also makes sourdough and infatuates women with his sideways smile and prowess at poker.
Jacob Elordi: The villain
He's already proven he can play a confusingly sexy-but-awful man in Emerald Fennel's Wuthering Heights... What next for Elordi - who has been touted as the next James Bond? Why not the antagonist... Get him to play none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the pussy-stroking villain previously taken on by the likes of Donald Pleasence and Christoph Waltz.
Harris Dickinson: Q
Without Q and his silly little gadgets, Bond is nothing. Who best to take over from Ben Whishaw? We elect 29-year-old British heartthrob Harris Dickinson. Notable for his playful, boyish charm, Dickinson has already proven an aptitude for blending boisterous enthusiasm with a brooding intellect in films like Babygirl. Whether any dairy-based products would feature in his upcoming inventions is a thought worth entertaining...
Jonathan Bailey: Mr Moneypenny
She's loyal, efficient and a little bit flirty - but always discreet. Miss Moneypenny, the secretary to MI6 boss M, who also enjoys a bit of light-hearted coquetry with Bond, has always been portrayed by a woman. But, just as Bond could be gender swapped, so too could Moneypenny. Our pick is Jonathan Bailey, of Wicked fame. He could provide some light relief amidst the high-tension action, and his heart-melting smile and musical talents would allow him to perform a rendition of Paul McCartney's 1980 song 'Temporary Secretary'. Complete with desk dancing, of course.
