COMEDIAN David Mitchell has jokingly put himself forward for the role of Q in the next James Bond movie.
The Peep Show and Would I Lie To You? star appeared on The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 2 last Friday alongside actress Michelle Keegan and comedian Tom Allen.
On the show, Mitchell, 49, discussed his dislike for the latest instalment of the James Bond film franchise – 2021’s No Time to Die – which saw Bond controversially killed off for the first time.
However, Mitchell from Salisbury, Wiltshire, appeared to back down on his rant when presented with the idea of him playing boffin Q – who supplies Bond with top secret field gadgets and technology.
Video shows host Zoe Ball posing to Mitchell: “I can tell that you’re furious about the end of the last James Bond which-“
The comedian interrupts her saying: “Absolutely furious.”
Ball posits: “Well I mean aren’t we all? Can we discuss it? Will people be furious?”
Mitchell asks: “Is that a spoiler? I tell you what’s a spoiler, the filmmakers, they’ve ruined it, they ruined the franchise, dreadful handling of-“
Fellow comedian Tom Allen then intervenes, joking: “You’re just discounting yourself from being the next James Bond. Why?”
Mitchell quips back: “Yes, the fact is that I need an excuse, I need to be able to tell myself that I was in the running and then I was so rude about [Bond producer] Barbara Broccoli.”
The studio guests laugh before Ball admits: “I could see him as a ‘Q’ though, couldn’t you?”
Allen then enthusiastically jumps in, saying: “Oh yes. Or in a queue, I could see you in a queue.”
Mitchell jokingly replies: “In a queue for Q? Among more prominent actors.”
Allen quips back: “Just in a queue at the post office.”
Michell replies: “No, I’d love to be Q, that would be great, actually I take it all back! What a great Bond film.”
Ball then sarcastically joins in: “What a great Bond film, loved that last one, what a twist.”
Mitchell then concludes jokingly: “Well done Barbara Broccoli – I’d love to meet you.”
The video was uploaded to social media by BBC Radio 2 yesterday with the caption: “Happy #GlobalJamesBondDay, especially to David Mitchell…”
The video has since received over 1,100 likes and dozens of comments from users seemingly agreeing with Mitchell’s opinion.
Paraphrasing an iconic scene from Mitchell’s Peep Show, one user joked: “Four naan James? That’s insane.”
Another said: “He is absolutely spot on.”
A third agreed: “He’s right; it’s ruined – but having said that, people should read the plot of the novel You Only Live Twice – food for thought.”
Another replied: “Magic ending to Daniel’s time as 007. They should now start right at the beginning i.e. from when he became an orphan and his journey to 007.”
James Bond is set to return in a new film but as of the time of writing, no release date has been set and no lead actor has been announced.
The film will be the first without Daniel Craig, who played the British spy for five movies since Casino Royale in 2006.
