Jessica Chastain wants to play a James Bond villain

'People ask me if I want to be a Bond girl, and I say, No, I want to be the villain'

Jessica Chastain attends the Metropolitan Opera (Getty)

Jessica Chastain’s one of the greatest action heroines of our time - having starred in Zero Dark Thirty, Intersteller and The Martian.

Considering the upcoming release of Spectre, it’s no surprise she’s been asked if she would like to star in a Bond film. Typically, this means 'would you like to be a Bond girl?', but not for Chastain.

"One of my goals is to play a villain in a Bond film," she told W Magazine for her cover shoot. "People ask me if I want to be a Bond girl, and I say, 'No, I want to be the villain'. I'm waiting for that call!”

Jessica Chastain for W magazine (Steven Klein/W Magazine)

There have been numerous female Bond villains in the past - Maud Adams as Octopussy, Sophie Marceau as Elektra King and Grace Jones as May Day.

Sophie Marceau played Elektra in 1999’s The World Is Not Enough, making the last time there was a female villain over a decade and a half ago. Daniel Craig's Bond has yet to face-off against a woman.

Chastain’s film The Martian is currently playing in cinemas, while Spectre will reach the UK 26 October.