Fans shouldn't count on a woman ever portraying James Bond, according to one of the film franchise's producers.
"Bond is male," Barbara Broccoli told The Guardian. "He's a male character. He was written as a male and I think he'll probably stay as a male.
"And that's fine," she continued. "We don't have to turn male characters into women. Let's just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters."
Seven different men have played 007 over the years, including the character's current actor, Daniel Craig.
There's been considerable interest regarding who will take on the iconic role once Craig _ who is set to star in his fifth installment to the franchise in 2020 _ steps down.
Many fans have clamored for Bond to take on a different look, with Gillian Anderson and Idris Elba among the most popular choices to next play the character.
Broccoli's comments about the character mirror an opinion shared by Craig's wife Rachel Weisz earlier this year. She told The Telegraph that author Ian Fleming created Bond to be "particularly male and relates in a particular way to women."
"Why not create your own story rather than jumping on to the shoulders and being compared to all those other male predecessors?" Weisz told the British newspaper. "Women are really fascinating and interesting and should get their own stories."
Craig, 50, has indicated his next Bond movie could be his last. He told Stephen Colbert last year of returning to play Bond for a fifth time, "I just want to go out on a high note."
