James Bond ‘will remain British and male’ under Amazon’s management

The 007 franchise is now under the controls of Amazon MGM Studios.

The 007 franchise was bought out by of producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson last month.

The Daily Mail has reported that an internal memo circulated the studio 'stipulating the spy will not change gender or nationality.'

With speculation on how Amazon would take the wheel on the huge franchise, the Daily Mail quoted an insider explaining: “There have been so many erroneous rumours about the future of Bond.

"Amazon is committed to keeping the spirit of Bond alive and that means he has to be British or from the Commonwealth – and he has to be male.”

There had been talks that the iconic character would develop under Amazon, some predicting the next Bond would be a woman.

James Bond has been a legendary character in film since his first big-screen debut in 1962 under producer Albert 'Cubby' Broccoli.

His daughter Barbara and stepson Wilson then took over and built the brand into a billion-dollar franchise over the past 30 years.

The most recent Bond film, No Time to Die was released in 2021 and starred Daniel Craig.

It marked Craig's fifth adventure as the character, with Broccoli saying she wouldn't be rushed in finding his replacement.

Rumors and questions surrounding the brand, including the idea of spin-off shows, still remain to be told.