Miriam Margolyes joins Young Bond audio cast in gender-swapped villain role as backlash over new 007 looms

From the Newshound archive · first published 24 September 2026.

Miriam Margolyes, 85, is to play Cleek MacSawney — a role originally written as male — in the audio drama 'Young Bond: SilverFin', with the gender-swap approved by franchise writer Charlie Higson and producers. She joins Isaac Rouse, who stars as a young Bond, and describes her character as 'a violent, probably insane semi-criminal' she would relish playing. The casting comes as Higson declares that whoever Amazon Studios MGM picks as the next big-screen 007 will face fierce public anger.

Higson, who has called 'Slow Horses' star Jack Lowden an 'unconvincing choice', insists the backlash against any new Bond actor is 'inevitable'.

Director Barnaby Edwards said he was 'determined to get more female characters' into the adaptation, and Higson and producers backed the switch.