James Bond 25 VILLAIN: Wonder Woman star ‘I was cast by Danny Boyle before his departure’

The 45-year-old American-French actor was in Abu Dhabi on Saturday evening at the semi-final judging round for the International Emmy Awards.

Speaking with The National, he claimed: “I’m supposed to do the next James Bond, playing the lead bad guy.

“I was cast by Danny Boyle, and just now he left the project, so of course there’s some uncertainty.

“We don’t know who the director will be, and the producers don’t know if they’re going to go Russian or Middle East with the baddie right now.”

The actor, who played Sameer in Wonder Woman opposite Gal Gadot added: “I literally just received a message saying: ‘If they go Middle East, it’s you. If they go Russian, it’s someone else.’

“It’s the story of my life. Always on that line between something that could change my life and something that disappears.”

Nevertheless Said has his reservations adding: “I know that [Bond] could be seen as a big cliche, and I’m always fighting.

“I refuse so many roles because you fight to get something, you go and audition, and then in the end you have to refuse it because it’s just not good. That’s how you start your journey.”

They added: “For example he chose Eva Green to be the Bond girl when it came to the final four for Casino Royale and that has been the case for all the Bond girls he has worked with.

“It was telling the producers put his [Craig’s] name on their release saying that Boyle had been sacked.

“I have heard that they wanted to bring that Cold War element in but update it to the modern day.”

Bond 25 is set for release in October 2019.