James Bond 25: ‘Daniel Craig’s 007 set to face FEMALE villain and mentor young MI6 agent’

As director Danny Boyle oversees screenwriter John Hodge on James Bond 25, fans are wondering how they will handle Craig’s final 007 outing.

Now a new rumour comes from a Reddit user claiming: “I work in the film industry and know people tangentially connected to the world of Bond.”

CashleyPersia alleges: “Boyle is said to have a female villain at the centre of his Bond film and he is actively casting the role now.”

The supposed insider continued: “They want an A-list actress for the role.

“I’ve heard the usual suspects of A-listers who have supposedly met with Boyle or will meet with him…the part is billed as someone with a ‘personal connection’ to Bond.

“There is also a role of a young female MI6 agent who Bond is said to mentor. This role may even be informally cast already.

“John Hodge has finished his draft. He will likely remain the sole writer of the project.”

IS THIS WHY BOND 25’S TITLE AND CAST HAVEN’T BEEN ANNOUNCED YET?

Of course this update should be taken with a pinch of salt, but the plans for a more female-centric Bond – away from the two-dimensional Bond girls of the earlier films – is certainly believable in the post-Weinstein era.

Over the 55 years of the franchise there’s arguably never been a female Bond villain.

There’s certainly been henchmen like Goldeneye’s Xenia Onatopp and surprise baddie Elektra King in The World Is Not Enough.

However the latter wasn’t the main villain, that was Robert Carlyle’s Renard.

There was also Rosa Klebb in From Russia With Love, but she was ultimately working for Blofeld.

So which A-listers could take on Craig as the big cheese villain in Bond 25?

An obvious contender would be Charlize Theron, who played anti-hero MI6 agent in Atomic Blonde last year and the main villain in Fast and Furious 8.

In the latter she was a criminal mastermind and cyberterrorist, which would be perfect training for a Bond villain.

James Bond 25 will be released in November 2019.