The new 007: Who is Lashana Lynch? -

After much speculation and a roster of highly-debated choices for James Bond’s successor, the franchise is introducing the most unexpected 007 of all: a black woman named Lashana Lynch.

If your first thought was “Who?” you’re not alone. 

A source told the Daily Mail on July 14 that, in what they describe as a “popcorn-dropping moment,” the British actress will be passed the 007 mantle in the upcoming 25th Bond film installment. 

The film will feature a “pivotal scene” in which James Bond, still played by Daniel Craig, is called back from retirement and introduced to this young, stunning woman. But what unfolds is not what Bond, nor what viewers, expect. 

Check out this gallery to learn more about how the franchise hopes to modernize the classic tale that has been criticized as being dated and sexist, and find out just who the 007 successor is. 

© Getty Images

Don’t panic! - Contrary to popular belief, the film does not entail a complete do-over. Lynch will not replace Daniel Craig—she reportedly just takes James Bond’s secret agent number after he retires from MI6. Her character’s name will be Nomi.

© Getty Images

Bond is still Bond - Daniel Craig will still embody the womanizer, but this time his old-fashioned macho characteristics, also known as the classic Bond charm, faces an unforeseen challenge.

© Getty Images

Bond in the modern age - “Bond, of course, is sexually attracted to the new female 007 and tries his usual seduction tricks, but is baffled when they don’t work on a brilliant, young black woman who basically rolls her eyes at him and has no interest in jumping into his bed,” the source said.

© Getty Images

Appealing to a younger generation - With a new 007 being both a woman and a person of color—the latter of which was already a problem for fans when Idris Elba was being considered—the franchise hopes to modernize the story.

© Getty Images

So, who is Lashana Lynch? - You may have already seen her in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as she played fighter pilot Maria Rambeau in 'Captain Marvel.'

© Reuters

She had auditioned for other Marvel films - Before landing 'Captain Marvel,' Lynch reportedly auditioned for both 'Black Panther' and 'Spider-Man: Homecoming.'

© Getty Images

She knows the importance of her role in 'Captain Marvel' - On playing Maria, she said: "It made me realize that the younger generation, are going to have what I didn't have as a kid, which is seeing themselves on screen. So this will be a classic film for the new generations to come, which is crazy. And also the new normal, which I can't wait to be.” 

© Getty Images

She's of Jamaican descent - Lynch is a British actress, born in Hammersmith in West London, but she is also of Jamaican descent.

© Getty Images

A classically trained actress - She studied acting at ArtsEd in London. She was also awarded the Laurence Olivier Bursary, a scholarship which the Society of London Theatre only awards to the most gifted drama students.

© Getty Images

She was almost a singer - Lynch reportedly wanted to be a singer first. She was studying singing at the Sylvia Young Theatre School when a teacher suggested she take up acting as well, stating that acting and singing go hand in hand.

© Getty Images

Raised in a single-parent household - She drew upon her own experience when playing the character of Maria in 'Captain Marvel,' a character which she described as “really special for audiences both young and old who don't see that extended on screen," she told BET.  

© Getty Images

Acting debut - She made her acting debut in an episode of 'The Bill' in 2007, which is a a British police procedural TV series.

© BrunoPress

Her film debut - Lynch made her big-screen debut in the 2011 drama 'Fast Girls,' following two female sprinters aiming for the World Championships, which also starred Lily James, Lenora Crichlow, and Noel Clarke. She later co-starred in the BBC made-for-TV film 'The 7.39.'

© BrunoPress

TV appearances - On television, she also has appeared in 'Silent Witness,' 'Death in Paradise,' and 'Doctors.'

© Getty Images

A regular cast member - In 2015, Lynch was a regular cast member on the short-lived BBC comedy 'Crims.'

© Getty Images

Shonda Rhimes star - In 2016, Lynch was cast as lead character Rosaline in the American period drama series 'Still Star-Crossed,' produced by Shonda Rhimes. The series, a sequel to Romeo and Juliet, was canceled after one season.

© BrunoPress

She's also a playwright - Lynch reportedly wrote a play about a young poet falling in love called 'Cross Words,' which attempts to shatter stereotypes.

© Getty Images

Upcoming projects - In 2020, the actress is set to appear in an upcoming American TV drama called 'Y,' which is based on the comic book series 'Y: The Last Man.' 

© Getty Images

Strong female roles are becoming a trend for her - The series is set in a post-apocalyptic world in which only one man has survived. In a new world order of women, Lynch will play Agent 355, and the story will explore gender, race, class, and survival.

© Getty Images

She's a young 007 - Born on November 27, 1987, Lynch is 31 years old. In comparison, Daniel Craig started playing Bond when he was around 38. He's now 51, and his retired Bond character will be after this young new agent.

© Getty Images

Necessary in the Bond franchise? - The upcoming Bond film will be co-written by Phoebe Waller-Bridge (the writer behind 'Fleabag' and 'Killing Eve'), who spoke to Deadline about the uneasiness around the entire franchise regarding its decreasing relevance due to the way Bond treats women. 

© Getty Images

Her role in the series doesn't change Bond - "I think that's b******t," Waller-Bridge retorted. "I think he's absolutely relevant now. It has just got to grow. It has just got to evolve, and the important thing is that the film treats the women properly. He doesn't have to. He needs to be true to this character."

© Getty Images

Backlash - Predictably, many fans of the franchise are upset by this change of direction, but as Nomi merely takes the 007 number and does not attempt to replace James Bond, producers have found a loophole—and she can have her martinis stirred, not shaken.

© Getty Images

All we can do is wait -

This is all technically still hearsay, but to see how things turn out, you'll have to wait for the film's release in 2020.

While you wait, catch up on the best films of 2019 so far.

© Getty Images