James Bond producer Barbara Broccoli has said the next person to play the spy will be male.

Upcoming film No Time To Die will be Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007, and there has been speculation that his successor will be a woman.

The rumours were fuelled when it was disclosed that actress Lashana Lynch is playing a female 00 agent after Craig’s Bond has left active service.

But Broccoli told Variety magazine she sees the next Bond as male.

“He can be of any colour, but he is male,” she said.

“I believe we should be creating new characters for women – strong female characters.

“I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it.”

“I think women are far more interesting than that,” she added.

No Time To Die is set to be released in UK cinemas on April 2.