Penelope Cruz to be the next Bond girl?

Penelope Cruz was rumored to be the next Bond girl.

In June 2013, the buzz was that the Oscar winner would play the Bond woman in Sam Mendes's follow-up to Skyfall (2012). At 40 the following year, she would have been the oldest Bond girl yet — the previous record belonged to Honor Blackman, who was 39 as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. (CommanderBond fan forum)

She was pregnant with her second child at the time, but the rumor mill noted that shooting would start later, giving her time to get back in shape.

The rumor didn't survive the month. Within weeks, Us Weekly reported that Cruz was not in talks and had not spoken to producers — "the stories are totally false." (CommanderBond fan forum)

What actually happened: Bond 24 became Spectre (2015), directed by Mendes, starring Daniel Craig — with Léa Seydoux and Monica Bellucci as the Bond women. Bellucci, at 50, became the oldest Bond woman in franchise history. (Marie Claire, Bustle)

So no, Penelope Cruz never became a Bond girl. But for a few weeks in 2013, she almost was.