James Bond casts huge British star to play MI5 boss M – and it’s a major departure from previous roles

ACTRESS Daisy May Cooper is in talks to join the Bond franchise — as spy chief ‘M’.

Bosses hope the 36-year-old would bring a comedic and quirky edge to the role, previously held by heavyweights Dame Judi Dench and Ralph Fiennes.

Film insiders say the unlikely casting talks came after the success of This Country star Daisy’s close pal Phoebe Waller-Bridge, 37, joining the franchise as a script consultant.

Producers are said to feel the time is right for a sweeping overhaul of the long-running blockbusters.

It would coincide with a new leading man replacing Daniel Craig who stepped down as the British Secret Service agent at the end of the last film, No Time To Die.

A source said: “Daisy is a close pal of Phoebe, whose involvement in Bond was such a success that it sparked an unlikely conversation.

“Suddenly the production team were getting excited about the prospect of really taking ‘M’ in a different direction.

“With Daniel leaving, it seemed the time to start looking at changes across the board and the dynamic between Bond and ‘M’ is at the heart of the films.

“So this opens the door to it being a bit lighter and more comedic going forwards — and will of course impact the direction the new 007 goes in too.”

‘M’ has appeared since James Bond’s inception in the Ian Fleming novels and was based on Fleming’s own superior in the Naval Intelligence Division during World War Two.

Sources say the decision to return to a female ‘M’ guarantees Bond will remain male, amid growing speculation about a potential new direction.

Daisy emerged as one of the rising stars of British TV and film in 2017, when she appeared as Kerry Mucklowe in BBC mockumentary This Country.

She co-created and co-wrote it with her brother Charlie — who also appeared in the show.

It earned Daisy a Bafta for Best Female Comedy Performance.

Daisy went on to enjoy wider success in a string of dramas and comedies including Am I Being Unreasonable? on BBC1, and as a contestant on ITV’s The Masked Singer.

007’S SPY CHIEFS

BERNARD LEE
1962 – 1979

ROBERT BROWN
1983 – 1989

DAME JUDI DENCH
1995 – 2012

RALPH FIENNES
2012 – 2021