Ian McKellen wants James Bond to be gayLondon, June 26 (AZINS) Award winning British actor Ian McKellen says it is time to reboot the James Bond franchise with the title character being portrayed as a gay man.

"I do have an idea. I think Ian Fleming, who wrote the original books, knew all about (it). I'm not sure subsequent actors have quite understood the joke, which is the same as Superman. James Bond is a wimp," variety.com quoted McKellen as saying.

He added: "He's a silly Englishman that wants his martinis stirred. He changes his underwear, like Superman, and he can save the world. They all play it the same -- he's heroic all the way through. No, he's not."

"If you play James Bond as an outwardly camp, silly gay man that no one took seriously and then he turned out as many gay men are underneath their clothes -- buff and strong and as hetero as any hetero -- we might have a more truthful story than the one that has been told."

Would he want to play this new Bond?

The 78-year-old actor, who is outspoken about his homosexual status, said: "I'm not volunteering. I'm insisting. No, I'm too old to play it. I can be on the periphery of this new version."

The actor, known for playing Magneto in the "X-Men" franchise, also spoke about the lack of gay characters in major Hollywood tentpoles.

"I wouldn't say the films coming out of the mainstream are quite as related to what's going on in the real world as I would like them to be."

"One indication of that is LGBT people don't really get quite a big enough say. If you're one of those initials yourself, you do notice that actually these movies are not about me at all," he said.