Ben Whishaw To Play Q In ‘Skyfall’

This bit of info first came to our ears about a week ago, but with THR picking up on the internet chatter it now seems to be legit. Ben Whishaw will be taking on the role of gadget guru Q in the next James Bond franchise entry "Skyfall."

The move is a nice one, injecting a bit of youth into a role that has been traditionally played by much older actors. Desmond Llewelyn is the best-known Q, having portrayed the character in every Bond from "From Russia With Love" to "The World Is Not Enough" (except for "Live And Let Die" and "Never Say Never Again," the latter which featured Alex McCowan as the head of Q branch). John Cleese then took over the role, first popping up as Q's assistant in "The World Is Not Enough" before stepping into the job for "Die Another Day." And for you trivia folks, Peter Burton first played Q in a small scene in "Dr. No" while Jeffrey Bayldon played the part in the spoof "Casino Royale."

Whishaw is a nice change of pace and fits the grittier vision the series has taken with the last two films, led by Daniel Craig. Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes, Judi Dench, Albert Finney, French newcomer Berenice Malohe and Naomie Harris round out the cast of "Skyfall" which is now shooting with Sam Mendes at the helm. "Skyfall" hits theaters in Europe on October 26th, 2012, with a U.S. release following on November 9th.