New shot from next James Bond movie ‘Skyfall’ reveals youngest Q yet

The new actor to portray the iconic James Bond character Q - the first in the franchise since Daniel Craig's arrival - has been revealed and the filmmakers have picked a surprising choice.

Producers have confirmed that the MI6 quartermaster (hence the name 'Q') will return for this year's Skyfall and have also released the first shot of the new Q - pictured above.

The new actor is 31-year-old Brit Ben Whishaw, taking the mantle from the late Desmond Llewellyn, who portrayed the role a staggering 17 times from 1963 to 1999.

Afterwards John Cleese made two appearances in a similar vein after being introduced in the series as R, Q's assistant. Both Llewellyn and Cleese played the role in their eighties and sixties respectively, so the new choice is a huge step towards youth.

We at JOE are quite happy with the casting, as are the producers - after all, wouldn't it make more sense if the gadget-obsessed character was portrayed in modern times as a younger, geekier actor?

"It's a real thrill to confirm the return of Q in Skyfall played by the enormously talented Ben Whishaw," said Skyfall producers Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli in a written statement.

"We are delighted to have this beloved character back in the series."