A lot has been said about the possibility of a female James Bond over the years – with some film fans up in arms over the suggestion – but it turns out the spy was almost the opposite sex in the first place.

Sir Sean Connery has become one of the most popular James Bond stars (Picture: Bettman Archive)
Sir Sean Connery was the first to take on the role and starred as 007 in seven films between 1962 and 1983, making his debut in Dr No.

The late star has gone down as one of the most popular versions of the super spy, created by author Ian Fleming in 1953, but it has now been suggested that actress Susan Hayward was initially considered for the part.

In a new book, Ian Fleming: The Complete Man – which was released today – Nicholas Shakespeare delved into the history of the author and how his spy became one of the most famous characters in movie history.

According to the book, via IndieWire, producer Gregory Ratoff originally purchased the original rights to the franchise, and was hoping to get the Oscar-winner in the titular role.

“Since the mid-1950s, many well-known actors had been approached,’ Shakespeare penned. ‘Gregory Ratoff had the arresting idea of having Bond played by a woman, Susan Hayward.

Susan Hayward was initially in the running for the role (Picture: Getty)
‘Ian had entertained several possibilities, from Richard Burton (“I think that Richard Burton would be by far the best James Bond”), to James Stewart (“I wouldn’t at all mind him as Bond if he can slightly anglicize his accent”), to James Mason (“We might have to settle for him”).’

Hayward was a huge name at the time, thanks to roles in My Foolish Heart, The Conqueror, With a Song in My Heart and I’ll Cry Tomorrow

She took home the best actress Oscar for her efforts in 1958 flick I Want To Live!, and starred opposite Sharon Tate and Barbara Parkins in Valley of the Dolls.

Could you imagine Susan as 007? (Picture: Getty)
Fleming’s agent, Robert Fenn, shed light on how Connery ended up as Bond, explaining that other actors refused to sign on for a multi-movie deal.

‘We tried twenty or thirty. No major actor would play the part for more than one picture, and we couldn’t set up a deal with a distributor without commitment from a main actor,’ he said.

‘Fleming said, “He’s not my idea of Bond at all, I just want an elegant man, not this roughneck”.’

Connery made his debut as 007 in 1962’s Dr No (Picture: Bettman Archive)
There has been intense speculation over who would be cast as the next 007 following the release of 2021’s No Time To Die – after Daniel Craig put down his martini glass once and for all.

Aaron Taylor Johnson is the latest to be linked to the blockbuster, while Cillian Murphy, Theo James, Henry Golding and Regé-Jean Page have also been tipped.

While Lashana Lynch became the first woman in the franchise to take the 007 title in the latest blockbuster, a woman has yet to be unveiled as the overall lead.

Daniel Craig recently walked away from the franchise (Picture: MGM)
Speaking about the future of the character in a 2018 interview with the Guardian, executive producer Barbara Broccoli ruled out the possibility of this happening in the future.

‘Bond is male,’ she told the outlet at the time. ‘He’s a male character. He was written as a male and I think he’ll probably stay as a male.

‘And that’s fine. We don’t have to turn male characters into women. Let’s just create more female characters and make the story fit those female characters.’