Ana de Armas has expressed her preference for creating original, female-led action films, like her upcoming project Ballerina, rather than revisiting or gender-swapping iconic male characters such as James Bond.
Speaking at CinemaCon, where she is promoting the John Wick spinoff Ballerina, de Armas addressed recent comments by Helen Mirren, who critiqued the portrayal of women in the James Bond franchise. Mirren, in an interview, described the Bond films as “drenched and born out of profound sexism” and stated she never liked how women were represented in the series.
De Armas, who made a memorable appearance in No Time to Die as Paloma, a character who defied the typical “Bond Girl” mold, responded by highlighting the need for more stories like Paloma’s. In her interview with Variety, she emphasized the value of allowing characters like James Bond and John Wick to remain as they are, while creating more opportunities for strong, action-driven female leads. “Why don’t we have more movies about Paloma? Let James be James and John Wick be John Wick. We’ll do our thing,” she said. “When you get a woman fighting, you’ll be surprised the things she can pull off.”
Reflecting on the future of the James Bond franchise, de Armas acknowledged the shift in ownership following Amazon’s acquisition of MGM and expressed confidence that this could lead to fresh and exciting narratives within the Bond universe. “I’m sure that Barbara Broccoli and Robert Wilson made the best decision for James Bond. Whatever happens, that can go anywhere [creatively],” she stated.
De Armas also discussed the physically demanding nature of her role in Ballerina, where she plays Eve Maccaro, a dancer-turned-assassin on a mission to avenge her father’s death. The actress shared that preparing for the role required intense training, with a focus on diet, sleep, and recovery. “When you’re training at this level, everything is important—diet, sleep, massages, physiotherapy. If you don’t get good recovery, you’re screwed. The intensity is so demanding,” she explained.
Ballerina, which co-stars Keanu Reeves, Lance Reddick, Ian McShane, and Anjelica Huston, is set to hit theaters on June 6.
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