The name's Lynch. Lashana Lynch.

In what's been described as a "popcorn-dropping moment," the long-time MI6 Agent 007, James Bond, is all set to pass on his Walther PPK for the first time to someone who isn't a white man - specifically, in this case, to the 31-year-old British actress of Jamaican descent. 

If reports are to be believed, Bond's "license to kill" will be handed over to the "Captain Marvel" actor in the yet-to-be-titled 25th Bond film, which reportedly features Lynch as the new 007 and Bond's heir apparent.

According to an insider, who spoke to UK tabloid the Daily Mail, "There is a pivotal scene at the start of the film where M (spymaster M – played by Ralph Fiennes) says 'Come in 007,' and in walks Lashana who is black, beautiful and a woman. It's a popcorn-dropping moment."

Lynch landed life-changing role in the 2019 hit "Captain Marvel" as Maria Rambeau, the titular superhero's best friend and fellow Air Force pilot. Prior to that, the actress reportedly also auditioned for "Black Panther" and "Spider-Man Homecoming" – but that didn't work out.

The news, that comes just weeks after Halle Bailey, a black actress and singer, was announced to have grabbed the starring role of Ariel in Disney's live-action remake of "Little Mermaid," sparked celebrations and criticism on social media, with many cheering for a strong, black, woman Agent 007.

The Bond or just a Bond girl?

But there's a twist! Reports also suggest that the new 007 would be assigned the task of "convincing" Bond to emerge from retirement and "save the world." "Bond is still Bond but he's been replaced as 007 by this stunning woman," a source told the Daily Mail.

So does this mean the classic espionage series, which has spanned six decades and featured six white males in black tuxedos, is not yet ready to surrender the "white hero" tag?

"I suspect it is less to do with people 'surrendering' anything and more the commercial imperative of studios to make money," reacted Marcus Ryder, former RTS Diversity chair, adding "All types of people work in the British secret service in real life. If they are good enough to work in the real secret service they should be good enough to save the world in fiction."

So are the celebrations premature? Or does this come as the dawn of something positive? "I like the fact that in terms of diversity, people have previously only talked about black or Asian men playing the James Bond role. This has shifted the debate. That is progress," Ryder said.

The franchise, especially in the #MeToo era, has increasingly garnered a negative reception to its sexist undertones and Bond's signature womanizing ways, prompting many to demand a more feminist approach. This task is going further than just the performers as Fleabag's creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge has been added to the writing team. Surprisingly, Waller-Bridge is only the second woman to get a screenwriting credit in 60 years of Bond films.

The anonymous source quoted by the Daily Mail also claimed that the phrase "Bond girls" is now forbidden and the females in the spy franchise would instead be called "Bond women."

But does changing the way we call them actually change the way women are portrayed in the world's most celebrated spy series? And will the history-creating move shake - and in this case, also stir - the white male status quo of tinseltown?

These questions will be answered when the movie is released in April next year. 

(Cover image via Lashana Lynch's official Instagram account.)