Lenny Kravitz To Play Villain In Upcoming James Bond Game

Love James Bond? Love video games? You’ll be in for a surprise when the new 007-based game, First Light, is released and features Lenny Kravitz as the villain.

That’s right – the American singer, musician and actor will make his video game debut in 007: First Light, where he’ll appear as the character Bawma.

Announcing the news at this week’s Game Awards, Kravitz wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter) after the award ceremony: “I’ll be bringing the character of Bawma to life in 007 First Light. @007gameIOI.”

He continued, “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.”

007: First Light is due for release next year. Actor Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin) will play the titular character, and will be joined by Kravitz, as well as an impressive cast including Steeltown Murders star Priyanga Burford, The Walking Dead’s Lennie James, Crazy Rich Asians’ Gemma Chan, and others.

The game is expected to be available on multiple platforms, including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.

Bawma can be seen in the new trailer for First Light, looking ominous but somehow, like Lenny Kravitz.

“The Bond franchise has such an incredible legacy in video games, so to step into it with a brand-new character like Bawma is amazing,” Kravitz commented in a statement (per Billboard).

Kravitz added, “He’s magnetic and unpredictable, there’s danger in him, but also heart and purpose. He’s not just a man with power; he is a man who has to fight for every inch of it. Bringing that energy into 007’s world felt incredible.”

You can watch the video game trailer below.

Last month, Lenny Kravitz toured Australia for the first time since 2012.

In a recent interview with The Music, Kravitz opened up about his long-awaited return to Australia and his previously axed tour dates due to COVID-19.

“We were supposed to come there a few years ago, unfortunately, when COVID started,” he said. “That cut my Australian tour, so we weren't able to make it on that cycle. And of course, I've been touring now for about two years on this album. So, it was very important to me to get down there, see everybody, and celebrate together.”