The next James Bond will be played by a paraplegic actor, Eon Productions has announced.
Auditions for Daniel Craig’s replacement will begin in the summer and filming of Goldenchair is set to begin early next year.
The casting crew are inviting actors with a range of impairments, although priority will be given to those with at least two unusable limbs or significant musculoskeletal abnormalities.
Director John Coates, who worked on the original Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory and helped to make orange dwarves less terrifying, said,
“I’m thrilled to be directing Goldenchair. It’s more important that minority groups are represented than whether they are able, competent or suitable, and it will also put us into the running for Best Actor at the Oscars – something the traditional able-bodied Bond would never have achieved.”
The ‘Aston Martin of wheelchairs’ will be presented to 007 by Q, who will be played by a pangender refugee with behavioural difficulties.
It is expected to be equipped with many advanced features, including guided missiles, an ejector seat, hover capabilities, easy-wipe console, mini-bar, and rockets and that will propel Bond to speeds of up to 260 mph.
The wheelchairwoman of Disability UK said, “We are delighted that the next Bond will be extraspecially challenged. The supervillain wheelchair-user Bloefeld in For Your Eyes Only did nothing for the image of the disabled, bald or cat-loving community and we hope Goldenchair will help redress the balance.”
Rumours that the next Bond could be played a black man or a woman have been quashed as “ridiculous” by the studio.
