James Bond 'Skyfall's' Gadget Maestro Q to Be Played By Ben Whishaw

LONDON – Ben Whishaw, cast in the latest James Bond movie Skyfall, currently shooting in the U.K., set the Internet atwitter with reports his role is to be that of gadget maestro Q.

our editor recommends

Daniel Craig Returns as James Bond in 23rd Installment Titled 'Skyfall'

Javier Bardem: 4 Roles that Prepped Him for 'James Bond'

Hugh Grant Joins 'Cloud Atlas' Cast Alongside Jim Broadbent, Jim Sturgess and Ben Whishaw

Whishaw, the British actor with a sizeable female following, set message boards humming as reports emerged his role would be that of the MI6 boffin who traditionally dishes out the gadgetry to 007 for his missions.

The actor, already announced as part of the cast alongside Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes and Albert Finney among others, is reported to have been assigned the role for the Sam Mendes directed actioner.

The British press pondered the fact the casting means Whishaw will be the first Q in the franchise’s history to be younger than 007.

He is 31, Craig is 43.

Q is a James Bond staple for older 007 fans as he hasn’t appeared in a Bond adventure since 2002’s Die Another Day when John Cleese turned on the quirk for the role.

For the previous 36 years, the gadget whizz and inventor had been played by Desmond Llewelyn.

Mendes’ Skyfall is scheduled to begin its worldwide box office assault in the U.K. and Ireland in October 2012 before hitting North America in November of the same year.