Saoirse Ronan says she’s dead serious about playing a Bond villain
Saoirse Ronan has told Empire magazine this week that she is entirely serious about wanting to play a Bond villain, repeating an ambition she first voiced in 2024, as Amazon MGM Studios searches for its next 007.
TL;DR
- Ronan reaffirmed to Empire that she’s fully committed to playing a Bond villain, an ambition she first raised in 2024.
- Amazon MGM Studios and director Denis Villeneuve have yet to confirm who will play 007 next, and Ronan’s husband Jack Lowden is among the names circulating.
- Ronan made the comments while promoting her new dark comedy Bad Apples, which reaches UK cinemas on 18 September 2026.
- She said a young female villain would let a performer channel anger in a fresh, dramatically interesting way.
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Ronan doubles down on wanting to ‘go dark’
Saoirse Ronan, the four-time Oscar nominee, made the comments to Empire while promoting her new film, Bad Apples. She said, “I said that I wanted to be a Bond villain and I’m dead serious.”
Ronan expanded on the idea, explaining that a young female villain could give women and girls someone who channels pent-up anger into deliberate action. It isn’t a new wish for her: she told Vanity Fair in 2024 that she’d like to play a female villain who tries to take Bond down instead of falling for him.
Who might actually play Bond?
Amazon MGM Studios took full creative control of the 007 franchise after a February 2025 deal with longtime stewards Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The studio has not confirmed a lead for the next film, which Denis Villeneuve is set to direct.
Names linked to the role include Callum Turner, Jacob Elordi, Tom Holland, Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Harris Dickinson. Also in the frame is Jack Lowden, the Slow Horses actor and Ronan’s husband. One name already ruled out: Idris Elba told British GQ in June that years of fan campaigning for him to play Bond were “never legit.”
UK-specific fact: Bad Apples release
| UK theatrical release | 18 September 2026 |
| Source: The Upcoming | |
| BBFC rating | 15 |
| Source: BBFC |
Bad Apples follows Ronan as a primary school teacher whose response to a disruptive pupil spirals out of control. It’s Swedish director Jonatan Etzler’s English-language debut, and it opens nationwide in the UK next month.
Reported from publicly available interviews and verified press sources. Last reviewed 25 August 2026.
Lewis Calvert Founder & Editor, BriefLedger
Lewis founded BriefLedger and has six years of experience covering film, TV, and entertainment news. He leads the site’s Movies and TV sections and runs the news desk — always with a straight-talking British take.
