While we wait for the arrival of a new James Bond, we might have just had the first audition for the next Bond Girl if this evening’s Academy Awards are anything to go by. During a special tribute to Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, presented by one-time Bond Girl herself, Halle Berry, a musical performance began, which was kicked off with the electric presence of The Substance star Margaret Qualley, dressed in a striking red dress, dancing with a host of tuxedo-clad 007 stand-ins. We see what you’re doing, Qualley, and we like it. Amazon, make it happen.

As for the rest of the performance, well, it was majestic. A medley of some of the most famous Bond songs was kicked off by Lisa of Blackpink, who sang a stirring rendition of “Live and Let Die,” first sung by Paul McCartney. She was swiftly followed by Doja Cat who sang that legendary hit “Diamonds Are Forever,” originally sung by Shirley Bassey, before the performance was capped off by Raye performing Adele’s stirring “Skyfall.”

The History of the Bond Girls

Margaret Qualley dances during the #JamesBond tribute at the #Oscars pic.twitter.com/bVhV4wux9x

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 3, 2025

The Bond girls have been an essential part of the James Bond franchise since the very first film, Dr. No (1962). Often portrayed as love interests, allies, or villains, these characters have played a crucial role in shaping 007’s world, evolving from stereotypical femme fatales to more complex, independent figures over the decades.

In the early days of the franchise, women were often portrayed as the glamorous sidepiece to the main man, generally to be a useful plot device, someone to hand out exposition or, you know, romantic purposes. Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in Dr. No set the standard, famously emerging from the sea in a white bikini—an image that became one of the most iconic moments in cinema history. Following her, actresses like Honor Blackman (Goldfinger, 1964) and Diana Rigg (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969) played stronger, more independent women, with Rigg’s Tracy Bond being the only woman to marry James Bond in the official Eon series. Of course, she was then killed.

By the time the franchise reached the 1990s and 2000s, actresses like Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies, 1997) and Halle Berry (Die Another Day, 2002) were playing Bond’s equals, with their own agency and action scenes, while the most recent Bond films have continued to develop more well-rounded female characters. Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale, 2006) remains one of the franchise’s most beloved and tragic figures, while Léa Seydoux’s Madeleine Swann (Spectre, 2015; No Time to Die, 2021) was the first Bond girl to carry over into multiple films.

Should Qualley want to, she could become the latest in a line of movie icons. Stay tuned for more from the 2025 Oscars.