Pierce Brosnan responds to backlash over 'The Thursday Murder Club' casting

Pierce Brosnan responded to the backlash surrounding the casting of the Netflix film, The Thursday Murder Club.

On April 25, the production company announced the cast for its latest murder mystery film, but soon received criticism from fans for what they thought was poor casting.

In a conversation with the BBC, the 72-year-old actor admitted that he didn’t question director Chris Columbus’s choice for his casting.

“I never asked Chris why he cast me. I thought, 'This is Ray Winstone, bro,'" he confessed. Brosnan added, “It's a huge responsibility when you have an audience and the world waiting to see these characters."

Seemingly, netizens also agree with the James Bond star; one fan commented, “I feel Ray Winstone would have been a great fit.” Another follower wrote, “Damn. Ray Winstone would have been perfect.”

As fans of the popular book adaptation noted, casting Brosnan as Ron Ritchie did not make sense since the character is bald and muscular.

Notably, The Murder Mystery Club is adapted from Richard Osman’s debut novel of the same name, which gained popularity in the UK after its release in 2020. The book has sold over 10 million copies so far.

Directed by Chris Columbus, the cast of the film includes Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, and Ben Kingsley.

As per the synopsis, it follows four retirees in a luxury retirement village who solve cold cases for fun until they come across an ongoing case in their area.

For the unversed, the movie will be released on Netflix on August 28, 2025.

Will Pierce Brosnan return in Denis Villeneuve's James Bond?

It has not been confirmed if Pierce Brosnan will return in the new James Bond film. However, he said he'd be open to returning as a 'senior citizen' Bond.