James Bond 25: 'That's b****ks!' Phoebe Waller-Bridge SLAMS claim 007 is 'irrelevant now'

The Fleabag creator has been drafted in to polish up the script of the upcoming film, which doesn’t yet have a title. But in the #MeToo era, there have been growing claims that James Bond is just unsuitable for the way he treats women. Waller-Bridge has said there is essentially a middle ground; that the films do need to do better by their female characters, and the movies can also still have a place in modern storytelling.

She told Deadline: “There’s been a lot of talk about whether or not [the Bond franchise] is relevant now because of who he is and the way he treats women.

“I think that’s b*****ks. I think he’s absolutely relevant now.

“It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly.”

She added: “He doesn’t have to. He needs to be true to this character.”

Speaking of her appreciation for Craig’s iteration of the spy, she added: “When I saw his Bond for the first time, there was a wryness to his performance that I really loved. So, I was really excited about writing dialogue for him.

“I mean, the script was there. It’s already there. I think it’s unfair to say that I’m writing the script.

“I just want to make sure that when they get those pages through, that Lashana [Lynch], Léa [Seydoux] and Ana [de Armas] open them and go, ‘I can’t wait to do that.’

“As an actress, I very rarely had that feeling early in my career. That brings me much pleasure, knowing that I’m giving that to an actress.”

Bond 25 has faced numerous delays and alleged production issues, but its release date still remains in tact for next spring.

It is widely believed to be Craig’s final outing as 007; with speculation continuing on who will replace him.

Currently Bodyguard’s Richard Madden is the bookies’ favourite, closely followed by the likes of Tom Hiddleston.

Bond 25 is out on April 8, 2020.