007: First Light Costar Lenny Kravitz Discusses His Love of James Bond Movies Ahead of His Video Game Debut

Last year, IO Interactive revealed that instrumentalist and vocalist Lenny Kravitz would beryllium making his video crippled debut successful 007: First Light – not arsenic the vocalist of a film-like Bond Theme, but arsenic an existent quality successful the game. Cast arsenic Bawma, a charismatic pirate king with a mysterious edge, Kravitz's video crippled debut promises action, intrigue, and a dash of rockstar theatrics. I had the accidental to talk with him astir his relation successful the game, his decades-long emotion for the Bond films, and to effort to glean a small spot much astir his character’s relation successful this twist connected a accepted Bond story.

Originally announced arsenic “Project 007” successful 2020, IO Interactive has started to loosen the valve connected accusation astir its upcoming crippled starring the planetary antheral of mystery. While we inactive haven’t had a accidental to spell hands-on with the project, it looks promising. Blending Hitman-style stealth-action with the globetrotting cinematic radiance and consciousness of wit you’d expect from immoderate metallic surface escapade starring your prime of the actors who’ve held a licence to kill, it feels due that its villains would beryllium larger than life, conscionable similar successful the novels and films. That each starts with a spot of blockbuster stunt casting.

Lenny Kravitz arsenic Bawma successful 007: First Light.

Though he’s caller to the bid arsenic an actor, Kravitz’s emotion for the James Bond movies arsenic a instrumentality goes backmost to his clip lining up to spot Roger Moore’s films successful inferior precocious and precocious school. “I utilized to enactment up connected the archetypal nighttime it would beryllium successful the theatre with a person of mine,” the instrumentalist told me, making definite to wage articulator work to his favourite starring men, Roger Moore and Sean Connery. “The taxable songs were ever amazing, too, ever epic,” helium told me, reminiscing connected Carly Simon’s Nobody Does It Better from The Spy Who Loved Me earlier shouting retired his favorites: Shirley Bassey’s iconic Goldfinger, Wings’ Live and Let Die, and Duran Duran’s A View To Kill.

Kravitz’s chill charisma and rockstar persona consciousness well-tuned for the relation of a pirate king. But helium insists that he’s not conscionable playing himself oregon sending up his favourite campy villains of bygone Bond films. Instead, helium looked inward, drafting connected his ain experiences for inspiration. “I’ve met immoderate folks that are… akin to his character. I grew up successful the Bahamas arsenic good arsenic New York City and determination were guys who had [Bawma’s] vibe and were doing akin things successful the islands.” The instrumentalist told maine the hardest portion of playing Bawma was uncovering that dependable and personality. “It’s truly each successful the voice,” helium assured me. “It took a moment, but yet we recovered the saccharine spot.”

But Kravitz isn’t conscionable a prolific performer. He besides brought immoderate of his expertise arsenic an icon successful the manner satellite to the character, adjacent getting progressive successful giving notes to the creation and plan team, weighing successful connected Bawma’s costume arsenic seen successful his uncover trailer. From the chopped of his overgarment to the placement of tattoos and scars, the last plan successful the trailer was the effect of heavy collaboration betwixt Kravitz and the IO Interactive team.

During our conversation, Kravitz dropped a fewer hints that Bawma mightiness not beryllium an outright atrocious guy, though, coating him arsenic much of a morally ambiguous antihero, alternatively than a straightforward villain. “He’s an absorbing guy. We’re not rather definite however he’s going to turn.” IO Interactive CEO and 007 First Light Director Hakan Abrak told me, “We wanted much than conscionable a one-sided villain, similar we wanted to person immoderate benignant of charisma.” Abrak added that he’s not all-out evil, teasing, “He has much sides to him that could possibly crook retired astonishing successful the story. You’ll request to hold to spot that until the crippled comes out.”

That extent played into IO’s casting for Bawma, Abrak told me. During aboriginal meetings, IOI realized they needed a performer who could captivate a assemblage to acceptable the quality they’d written. He told me, “The mode Lenny moves, the mode helium draws sympathy and empathy benignant of drags you successful arsenic a person” played a large relation successful pushing IO to take the rockstar for this role.

Since these interviews, IO Interactive has announced that 007 First Light has been delayed from March 27, 2026, to May 27, 2026. For much connected 007 First Light, cheque retired our archetypal large preview from past year.