Former James Bond Star Pierce Brosnan Discusses the Next 007

There has been much talk over the past few weeks about who should play James Bond once Daniel Craig finishes as 007, with the star suggesting that the upcoming Spectre could be his final Bond movie. Now former Bond Pierce Brosnan has weighed in on the subject.

In an interview with the Press Association, Brosnan addressed speculation that the next Bond actor could be black--or even a woman.

"Anything is possible for sure, but I think he'll be male and he'll be white," he said. "There's wonderful black actors out there who could be James Bond, and there's no reason why you cannot have a black James Bond.

"But a female James Bond, no, I think it has to be male. James Bond is a guy, he's all male. His name is James, his name is James Bond."

Last month, Brosnan also touched on the possibility of a future Bond being gay, telling Details magazine: "I don't think Barbara [Broccoli, the Bond producer] would allow a gay Bond to happen in her lifetime. But it would certainly make for interesting viewing."

Brosnan played Bond in four movies between 1995 and 2002, namely GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough, and Die Another Day. Those films restored the franchise to blockbuster glory after the lukewarm reaction to the two films that starred Timothy Dalton. Nevertheless, his final two outings as 007 are now considered amongst the worst in the series, something Brosnan himself seemed acknowledge in an interview with The Telegraph last year. "I have no desire to watch myself as James Bond. It's just never good enough," he said.

Spectre is directed by Sam Mendes and also stars Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Monica Bellucci, and Ralph Fiennes. It arrives in cinemas on November 6, 2015.

For more Spectre news, check out the following:

• Sam Smith Teases Spectre Theme Song With New Audio Clip
• James Bond Spectre Theme to Be Sung by Sam Smith
• New James Bond Film's Female Stars Showcased in Featurette
• Watch the New 007 Spectre Trailer