007 First Light's villain is played by Lenny Kravitz

IO Interactive has its bad guy for its James Bond origin story.

James Bond fans have a lot to look forward to with the upcoming 007 First Light. The first Bond game from the makers of the Hitman franchise has presented nearly every piece of the typical 007 puzzle, including high-octane action, fast cars, sleek gunplay, and a charming front man. However, there are a few questions, including who's playing the story's villain. That question was answered at The Game Awards 2025 with a new trailer revealing a baddie named Bawma, played by music legend Lenny Kravitz.

Thursday night's 007 First Light trailer showed Bond in a precarious position, as he's prone to find himself in. Hanging upside-down over a pit of alligators, a mystery villain steps out of the shadows to reveal the smuggling kingpin Bawma, who is played by Kravitz. This will mark Kravitz's first acting role in a video game.

"I've always been, since I grew up, a James Bond fan," Kravitz said at a private event prior to tonight's TGA show. "I used to always go to the movies, line up when the films would come out, from the early '70s on up. And so when I got this call, I was intrigued. We went in and did this, and it was so much fun, so interesting, and it's so incredible to see this character now moving and living."

"Lenny brought an incredible sense of gravity and charisma to the role," IO Interactive CEO Hakan Abrak added. "From our first conversation, we knew you know that he fully understood Bawma and Bawma's character. He's an incredible performer, but there is also real soulfulness in how Lenny performs. That duality, [where] we went for someone larger than life, yet deeply human, is exactly what we wanted for and needed for Bawma. We didn't want a one-note villain, we wanted a man who built his own empire in the midst of chaos, but still carries the scars of what [he has] lost. Lenny has a creative energy that fits perfectly with the tone of First Light. And then, he's the musician, a performer, and an actor that understands rhythm. Bawma, in a sense, you know when you see him there in the game, he moves [with] his own rhythm. So I think there's something hypnotic about him, and Lenny captured that beautifully in his voice performance."

As implied by his statement, Abrak is hinting at a multi-dimensional villain with Bawma, who has experienced great loss en route to becoming the ruler of an underworld island kingdom. He implied to the press that not only will Bond be at odds with him, but 007 may also need to potentially use him as an asset at different points in the story. Given what a smooth talker Bond is and the way in which IO Interactive appears to have weaved that aspect of the character into this game, it'll be interesting to see how this dynamic plays out.

This has not been the only major celebrity get for 007 First Light. Earlier this year, actress Gemma Chan (Crazy Rich Asians, The Creator) was revealed to be playing the role of Dr. Selina Tan, who will be the front-facing member of Q Branch. Expect her to be the one who presents Bond with his signature gadgets for his missions that lie ahead.

The time for James Bond's next adventure is almost here. 007 First Light comes to PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 27, 2026. A Collector's Edition will also be available for $199.99 USD and include the Deluxe Edition, an Obsidian Gold Suit outfit, a Mask Lifesize Replica, a Certificate of Authenticity, and a Steel Cage with a magnet. More details on the other editions of the game can be found on the 007 First Light website.