Jenna Ortega, star of Wednesday and co-star of Beetlejuice Beetlejuice alongside Catherine O'Hara, recently shared her thoughts on the trend of remaking classic films with female leads. In an interview with MTV, host Josh Horowitz posed a hypothetical scenario: Would Ortega be interested in starring in a sequel to Tim Burton's Edward Scissorhands, potentially reimagined as Edith Scissorhands?
While Ortega and O'Hara initially found the concept amusing, Ortega's response revealed her deeper thoughts on the subject. “I love that there's a lot more female leads nowadays, I think that's so special, but we should have our own,” Ortega said. “I don't like it when it's like a spinoff — I don't want to see like ‘Jamie Bond.' You know? I want to see another badass.”
Ortega's comment comes amidst broader discussions about reimagining iconic characters. At the Venice International Film Festival, Daniel Craig and filmmaker Luca Guadagnino were promoting their film Queer. Craig, who previously portrayed James Bond, was asked if the character might someday identify as LGBTQ+. Guadagnino dismissed the question, urging a mature discussion on the topic.
The debate over reimagining classic characters like James Bond has been ongoing. Producer Barbara Broccoli, reflecting on her 2021 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, echoed Ortega's sentiment: “I think [the next James Bond] will be a man because I don't think a woman should play James Bond,” she said. “I believe in making characters for women and not just having women play men's roles. I don't think there are enough great roles for women, and it's very important to me that we make movies for women about women. He should be British, so British can be any [ethnicity or race].”
Instead of reworking established male roles, the industry has produced successful films with female leads who offer their own unique narratives. Examples include 2017's Atomic Blonde starring Charlize Theron, 2010's Salt with Angelina Jolie, and 2021's Black Widow featuring Scarlett Johansson. Additionally, Rebecca Ferguson's role as ex-MI6 agent Ilsa Faust in Mission: Impossible — Rogue Nation and its sequels has been widely praised.
As the entertainment industry continues to evolve, the push for original female-led stories and characters remains strong. Ortega's perspective highlights the importance of creating new, empowering roles for women rather than repurposing existing ones.
