Jenna Ortega, most recently the star of Netflix’s Wednesday and the new helm of the Scream franchise, voiced her support for more original female-led franchises over rehashing male-dominated classics with gender-swapped leads.
Think 2016’s all-female Ghostbusters as a prime example. Or more recently, in Dune and The Marvels.
The Interview
During an interview with MTV, which you can watch below, Ortega was asked if she would be interested in taking on a gender-swapped version of Edward Scissorhands. Ortega made it clear she prefers original roles over lazy gender-swaps.
“I love that there’s a lot more female leads nowadays, I think that’s so special. But we should have our own,” Ortega stated. “I don’t like it when it’s like a spinoff — I don’t want to see like ‘Jamie Bond.’ You know? I want to see another badass.”
She brings up an interesting example, as there has been rumbling for a female Bond (and of course, a black Bond) for years now, especially since Daniel Craig’s iteration of James Bond was killed off in No Time to Die in 2021.
What Does This Mean for Hollywood?
Ortega’s comments echo a broader sentiment within Hollywood and beyond. Longtime James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has consistently maintained that the 007 character will remain male. Broccoli told The Hollywood Reporter in 2021, “I think [the next James Bond] will be a man because I don’t think a woman should play James Bond. I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men’s roles.”
Similarly, Ana de Armas, who starred alongside Daniel Craig in No Time to Die, has expressed her support for keeping Bond a male character. “There’s no need for a female Bond,” de Armas told The Sun. “There shouldn’t be any need to steal someone else’s character… What I would like is that the female roles in the Bond films… are brought to life in a different way.”
Those are pretty black-and-white statements.
Is There Room?
For anyone has paid attention over the years, there have been several notable examples of badass female characters. 2010’s Salt is one example that comes to mind: a spy thriller that saw Angelina Jolie’s Evelyn Salt, a CIA Officer, attempt to unravel a conspiracy that attempts to claim she’s a Russian asset.
But there are many others; Geena Davis’s Charly/Samantha Caine from A Long Kiss Goodnight, Ellen Ripely from the Alien franchise, and Sarah Conner from the Terminator franchise just to name a few.
So maybe, Jenna Ortega’s views, not so new, should probably direct Hollywood instead of imaginary audiences that aren’t there. If female producers and female actors are clamoring for original pieces, maybe it’s time to listen up, Hollywood.
