Kevin O’Leary Wants To Play a Bond Villain and He also Wants 007 To Be a Woman
Most people know Kevin O’Leary as the sharp-tongued dealmaker from Shark Tank. Lately though, he’s been testing out a very different arena. O’Leary recently made his feature film debut in Marty Supreme, playing Milton Rockwell opposite Timothée Chalamet.
That includes a paddleball spanking that nobody saw coming. Apparently, that experience flipped a switch, because O’Leary isn’t done acting. He was actually really good in the film!
With awards season in full swing, O’Leary spoke to AP Entertainment ahead of the Golden Globe winners announcement and made it clear that he’s hooked. Acting is something he wants to pursue again, and he already has a very specific target in mind. Not just any role either, but one of the most iconic villain slots in cinema history. As he put it:
“Now that I’ve done this, I really want to do it again, and I know specifically what I want. I might as well — I’m used to asking for what I want. I want to be the bad guy in Bond. Nobody can do it the way I can.”
It’s easy to laugh that off at first, but Bond villains have come from all over the world, and O’Leary has already proven he’s comfortable on camera in Marty Supreme. Would he headline as the main antagonist? Probably not. But as a cold open threat or a flashy early obstacle for 007 to take out, it isn’t hard to picture him fitting into that universe.
O’Leary also shared his bigger idea for where the franchise should go next. During the same conversation, he threw out a take that’s been sparking debates for years now, arguing that it’s time to rethink who gets to carry the Walther PPK:
“And I want Bond to be a woman this time, and I think there could be a new tension between good and bad, you know, darkness and evil. And I just — I’ve been dissatisfied ever since the ‘60s. I want real bad, and I’m the guy.”
The question of a female Bond has hovered over the franchise ever since Daniel Craig started nearing the end of his run. Some voices have supported the idea, while others have pushed back hard.
Craig himself has said Bond should remain male, a stance echoed by his Quantum of Solace costar Gemma Arterton. Longtime franchise producer Barbara Broccoli also stated in 2020 that James Bond would always be a man.
That certainty has softened a bit now that Amazon MGM Studios controls the franchise, leaving fans guessing which traditions will stick and which might finally be challenged.
One thing that is locked in is the creative team. The next James Bond film will be directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Steven Knight. Whether or not Kevin O’Leary ends up anywhere near that production is still very much up in the air.
For now, if you’re curious to see how “Mr. Wonderful” handles himself on the big screen, Marty Supreme is still playing in theaters.