Lenny Kravitz Takes on Role of Bond Villain
Lenny Kravitz is stepping into the world of James Bond. The musician has been cast as the villain Bawma in the upcoming video game 007: First Light, which was revealed at the Game Awards.
Kravitz described his character as “the largest black-market dealer in the Western Hemisphere who’s as charismatic as he is unpredictable. He rose from nothing, broke free, and built his own Kingdom of Aleph.”
Bawma will serve as a major threat to a young James Bond, played by Patrick Gibson, who portrays a 26-year-old, less experienced version of the iconic spy.
I’ll be bringing the character of Bawma to life in 007 First Light. @007gameIOI
— Lenny Kravitz (@LennyKravitz) December 12, 2025
Introducing Bawma, the largest black-market dealer in the Western Hemisphere who’s as charismatic as he is unpredictable.
He rose from nothing, broke free, and built his own Kingdom of Aleph.… pic.twitter.com/TNBthnZFVJ
007: First Light is a third-person action-adventure game that tells an original story inspired by Ian Fleming’s novels and the long-running film series. The game focuses on Bond’s early career, showing the mission that earns him his 00 status.
Players will see new versions of familiar characters such as M (Priyanga Burford), Q (Alastair Mackenzie), and Miss Moneypenny (Kiera Lester), alongside fresh characters including MI6 mentor John Greenway (Lennie James), DGSE agent Miss Roth (Noémie Nakai), Selina Tan (Gemma Chan), and Bawma.
The developers at IO Interactive, known for the Hitman series, aim to modernize the story and avoid outdated portrayals of Bond’s attitude toward women. The game also includes classic gadgets and vehicles from the franchise, such as an unreleased Omega watch and the Aston Martin Valhalla, both redesigned for use in gameplay.
This will be the first major James Bond video game since the extended hiatus following the 2012 release of 007 Legends. IO Interactive announced the new game in 2020 and began full production after completing Hitman 3 in 2021. The game was fully revealed in June 2025 and is set for release on March 27, 2026, for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows.
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