Spectre’s Monica Bellucci Initially Anticipated Playing A Very Different James Bond Role, And I Could Get Behind This Alternative As A 007 Fan

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As audiences prepare to watch Monica Bellucci’s dazzling villainy in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, her spot on the 2024 movie schedule has also been an opportunity to look back. So of course, someone asked Ms. Bellucci about her role in the history of James Bond movies, via her appearance in Spectre.

Strangely enough, it’s this line of questioning that revealed an alternative role the Matrix alum thought she was being offered. As a 007 fan, I could totally get behind this alternative, and it’s not too late to make it happen.

The Alternate Spectre Role that Monica Bellucci Expected To Be Offered

During her Vanity Fair interview to promote Beetlejuice 2, Monica Bellucci shared a rather sweet story about how she never expected to be courted for the role of a Bond Girl. As you’ll read below, it wasn’t long before director Sam Mendes’ intentions were revealed. But for now, let’s take a look at who Bellucci thought she was going to play:

To be in a Bond movie is almost a secret dream for many actresses. And what happened to me was so funny, because my agent called me, and told me, ‘Monica, do you want to laugh? Sam Mendes just wanted to meet you for James Bond.’ And I was 50 at the time, so I said, ‘He wants to meet me for M?’ … I [would have been] so happy to play M, I have so much respect for Dame Judi Dench. But he told me, ‘No, he wanted to meet you for a James Bond girl, Donna Lucia Sciarra.’ The oldest ‘Bond Lady’ ever.

Learning more about the moment that Monica Bellucci was asked to become Spectre’s Bond Girl feels like vindication for her previous experiences with the legendary movie franchise. As previously revealed by 007 vet Colin Salmon, Bellucci auditioned twice to play a Bond Girl in two different films from Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond.

Neither of those opportunities panned out, but eventually history would provide the Brotherhood of the Wolf star with another unique way to carve out a piece of 007 history. As she continued to discuss what Spectre meant to her, Monica Bellucci cited her unique place in the firmament of the EON Productions saga thusly:

To be in the movie, for me, at my age, was a kind of revolutionary. And it was, because this subject came out all the time, was really something new that a mature woman could be close to James Bond. Also because Daniel Craig is younger than me, I mean, in reality. It proves that things are changing, and we are in a new era, and women have such an impact in society.

Daniel Craig’s run of Bond movies certainly had its share of historical moments, and making Monica Bellucci a Bond Girl is one of the most progressive. With all due respect, age shouldn’t matter when you have a couple that looks as good together on screen as this Spectre two-some did in their big moment. At the same time, it’s going to be hard for me to shake a Bellucci variant of M, as this also could have been something that forged a new path in the world of Ian Fleming’s iconic characters.

Monica Bellucci Would Still Make A Fantastic M For Bond 26

As we continue to wait for more updates on what we know about Bond 26, the question of who should play the next M is one of those rather important questions. With that in mind, I don’t think it’s too late to bring Monica Bellucci in as the next intelligence chief who gets to run Commander Bond.

It certainly isn’t the first time an actor would have played two different roles in the 007 legacy, so let’s just sweep that concern out of the way here and now. In addition, it doesn’t look likely that any of the MI6 family from Daniel Craig’s James Bond era will be returning to their posts.

So if we’re moving for a fresh start, a Monica Bellucci version of M would make for an exciting compliment to a hypothetical Moneypenny played by Olivia Colman. At least, that last scenario would be in play if Naomie Harris’ wishes held up. Not to mention, the commanding nature of Bellucci would pair well with Colman's signature brand of mischief.

The future of James Bond is in a bit of a holding pattern at the moment, so we’re obviously going to be looking anywhere we can for clues as to what happens next. Monica Bellucci’s reflection on becoming a Bond Girl is a firm reminder that there’s history still left to be made in this series. Now it’s also a good case for why making her the first Bond Girl to become M would be another fantastic first.

For those of you looking to head back to Spectre, you can currently stream the film with the usage of a Prime Video subscription. Monica Bellucci fans will also be able to see her terrorize the Afterlife in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which is currently showing in theaters.