There has recently been a lot of speculation over Daniel Craig's successor for the role of the womanizing-patriot James Bond; a host of hot male actors have been put forward for the post yet parallel to this debate people have begun asking the question why can't Bond be played by a woman? Author Nikki Owen's debut thriller series The Project Trilogy features a unique heroine, Dr Maria Martinez - an intelligent, focused woman with Asperger's - who has been compared to Robert Ludlum's Jason Bourne, a character who, like Maria, is on the run from a hidden sect within the secret service. The second book in the series The Killing Files is out now. Nikki has decided to consider which male character would work better if they were woman.
Nikki Owen
James Bond
I'd love to do away with all the schmooze and double-entendres and make Bond a woman who can just get on with the job in hand, namely kicking ass and being goddamn intelligent. Bond - and my anger at the mild sexism the series portrays - is one of the main reasons I created my Project trilogy protagonist, Dr Maria Martinez.
Adrian Mole
Would have loved to see Moley played out when it first came out back in the 80s as a female lead. But not with the stereotypical girly stuff - something more real, so, basically, more like Adrian himself, but mixed up with the hassle girls have to put up with growing up. Would make a pretty good point.
Jason Bourne
I actually admire the Bourne books and films enormously, so this one is more out of curiosity than anything else. Unlike Bond, Bourne is void of sexism, but still, it would be nice to see a kick ass female lead in that kind of role. You'll see that this, for me, is a theme.
Harry Potter
Controversial this one, I know (especially with my daughter) but I sometimes do find myself wondering how the whole franchise would play out with Harry being…Harriet Potter. Would the perils be the same? The challenges? The reactions of others? Good news is we get to see a glimmer of that with Hermione, but still - an interesting one to contemplate.
Jack Sparrow
The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise is phenomenal, but I do groan at the corset busting roles the female actors are given. To quote Chandler from Friends - can they be more stereotypical? So, let's make Jack into Jackie and have her not wear a bustier dress, but trousers and a shirt - with the buttons done up - and the same hard nosed attitude that the male leads continually get to play.
Indiana Jones
I know, as women, we're used to being stereotyped and trying to break from that mould, but I think it must be hard for blokes, too. Take Indiana Jones - fierce, strong, a man's man with just a touch of humour for women to swoon over. Since when did all men have to be like this? Be the same? So, to help the lads along, let's get Indy as a woman, or, a transgender role, even better, anything to blast these age-old stereotypes clean into the water.
Rocky
I know Hilary Swank had a go at this kind of role in the amazing Million Dollar Baby, but given when Rocky was first made in the 80s? 70s? I would love to see the character a women and, like Jack Sparrow, be non-girly, non-sexualised, so not about what she looks like, but how tough and strong and flawed she is.
Homer Simpson
And speaking of flawed, step forward Homer. A loveable rogue, Homer drinks like a fish, burps, swears, is totally lazy and yet we all love him. Now flip that with all the same characteristics but Homer is a woman. I know - never happens. And perhaps it's about time it did. Women belch, too, people. And again, that's A-Okay!
Gordon Gecko
See a woman who is ruthless on the screen much without being portrayed like a complete, childless, bitch? I know, right? Never happens. Yet males like Gordon Gecko, while feared, are also admired, seen as great. It's time we normalised the view that women, too, can only care about money and numbers and sometimes couldn't give a fig about raising a family, caring and being a mother. And that that is okay.
Michael Scott from the American Office
I do love this character - his social awkwardness, his desperate need for people to like him, the achingly cringey way he completely puts his foot in it. But wouldn't it be fab to see a woman portrayed exactly the same without being penned as, again, a bit of a bitch? Imagine her doing that dance? Imagine her being sexist about her male colleagues - all of which Michael in the series has done, but in reverse. It would really throw open some major society questions to see a woman act in an office environment just as Michael does.
