The ultimate female spy movies

James Bond, 007—licensed to kill.
A US Navy lieutenant commander who is sharp, charming, and incredibly resourceful.
He’s got a thing for women, vodka martinis (shaken, not stirred), fine cigars, fast cars, and a perfectly tailored suit.

Jack Ryan, a CIA agent with a license to think.
He’s dedicated, brave, level-headed, and almost always right. He was trained at Quantico.
He actually has a fear of flying, but he’ll push through it for the good of the USA.

I was feeling inspired after watching 'The Hunt for Red October' last night, so I decided to post this.
I spent quite a bit of time weighing these two agents against each other.
And even though I’m a huge fan of Bond, I have to admit that Ryan actually fascinates me much more.
So, I’m curious—what are your thoughts on these two fictional spies?
Which movies featuring them have you seen?
In a hypothetical showdown between these two, who do you think comes out on top and why?
Feel free to start a discussion, and if you want to drop a picture in... 😍

You really could've just opened a poll and tossed in names like Ethan Hunt from Mission Impossible, Jack Bauer from 24, Bryan Mills from Taken, Jason Bourne from the Bourne film series, or even Michael Westen from Burn Notice.

Honestly, I’m pretty sure Bauer and Mills would just eat the rest of them for breakfast. Don't get me wrong, Westen is an absolute legend too, just in his own way—all those transformations, the spy tips, and that chemistry he had with Bruce Campbell. 😁 😁

There’s definitely a few more names that could step up into the ring...

(though my money is probably on Guerrero 😁 anyway)

briskhound2 said:

There are definitely a few others who could hold their own in the ring.

(though my money is on Guerrero 😁)

Nice one, briskhound2, you nailed it 👍 - Christopher Chance, aka Brad Chasse, former US Marine. 😁 It’s honestly a shame Mark Valley isn't Captain America. 😬

Guerrero is an absolute legend once he pulls that color-changing mask over his head. 🤣

Frank Moore4 said:Spot on, briskhound2 — Christopher Chance, aka Brad Chasse, ex-US Marine. 👍 It’s such a bummer Mark Valley isn't Captain America though. 😁 😬

I'm pretty sure I actually started this whole series because of your recommendation—if I recall correctly—so it feels only right to give him a shoutout. 😁 I remember hearing he was originally in the running for Captain America... honestly, kind of a shame, since he gives off those old-school 1940s vibes.

Guerrero is an absolute legend whenever he pulls that color-changing mask over his head. 🤣

I lose it every single time he drops that super laid-back greeting — Hey,dude.

Honestly, any of them would get wiped out by an agent like Angelina Jolie...
Though, if Salt actually went toe-to-toe with James Bond, she’d probably leave him in the dust—even if he did eventually manage to charm his way out of it in the end.

briskhound2 said:

There are definitely a few others who could step up into the ring here.

(though if I’m putting my money on anyone, it's going toward

I haven't actually sat through this one yet—but honestly, he doesn't exactly scream "covert operative" to me; he looks more like raw material for a "Rambo" type flick. 😁

Frank Moore4 said:You could have easily started a poll and included guys like Ethan Hunt (Mission Impossible), Jack Bauer (24), Bryan Mills (Taken), Jason Bourne (Bourne film movies), and Michael Westen (Burn Notice).

Personally, I think Bauer and Mills would absolutely crush the rest of them. Don't get me wrong, Westen is a legend too, just in a different way—with all those transformations, his spy tips, and working alongside Bruce Campbell. 😁 😁

Yeah, I could have, but I was really just focusing on Bond and Ryan. The other spies and agents didn't hit home enough for me to write about them or ask for opinions.

Ethan Hunt is... honestly, he doesn't do much for me. As an agent, he feels like he's only suited for 'Mission Impossible'.
Jack Bauer...he's impressive when he's fighting, but he's just so extreme. He sacrificed everything, yet he never really got the recognition he deserved. It's admirable, sure, but it's also a bit much.
Bryan Mills...I don't even have a comment for him...
Jason Bourne...he's a fantastic agent—tough, and as Americans would say, always in pursuit of the truth...
Michael Westen...unfortunately, I haven't seen much of his work.

So, I'm bringing Ryan back into the conversation. To me, he's just genuinely impressive. Out of all the agents I've watched, and regardless of how much I love Bond, Ryan is the one agent I'd trust without a second thought.

Nicole Torres97 said:So, I’m basically bringing Jack Ryan back into my rotation... he's just that impressive to me. Out of all the agents I've ever watched—and look, I love James Bond as much as the next person—Ryan is the one guy I'd actually trust without a second thought.

Look, Ryan is great, but we've already talked about this—he's an analyst who just happens to stumble into high-stakes chaos. His strength is that he feels like a real person. If they had made James Bond exactly how he was originally written, we'd be looking at a completely different genre of movies today...

briskhound2 said:Look, Ryan Reynolds is great, but we’ve already talked about this—he’s essentially an analyst who just happens to stumble headfirst into an adventure. His strength lies in how grounded he feels. If they had cast Bond exactly how he was written on the page, we’d be looking at a completely different franchise by now.

That’s exactly my point, though! That’s what makes him so good. The fact that he just gets swept up in the chaos, like you mentioned, is precisely why his stories feel so high-stakes... at least for me.

briskhound2 said:(though I'm personally leaning towards Guerrero 😁)

Guerrero 🙏 🙏 🙏

Nicole Torres97 said:Michael Westen...honestly, he's not really on my radar.

Man, you seriously need to check out Mikey. He’s basically the living legend behind that whole "I used to be a spy... until I got burned" vibe. 😁 🙏 😉

Frank Moore4 said:You seriously need to check out Mikey. He’s basically the living embodiment of that "I used to be a spy... until I got burned" trope. 😁 🙏 😉

I was actually just reading up on Mikey, and he seems right up my alley, though I can't stand Anwar.

And honestly, at the end of the day, Ryan Reynolds is just Ryan Reynolds...🤷 😉 😍

Anwar, sounding like Fiona from the old IRA days: if you aren't sure, just pull the trigger and deal with the fallout later. 🙏 🙏 🙏

Bradley Nelson2 said:Anwar acting like Fiona from the old IRA days: if you aren't sure, just pull the trigger anyway! 🙏 🙏 🙏

"Are we taking the shot?!" 🙏 😁

It feels like everyone has veered off onto topics I didn't even bring up in the first place!

Is there really nobody here who wants to talk about Bond and Ryan Reynolds?!

Nicole Torres97 said:You guys are seriously veering off into topics I didn't even bring up!

Is nobody actually going to weigh in on Bond and Ryan?!

I mean, look, Westen and Chance are definitely the more intense picks right now. But just off the top of my head, I’ve always leaned toward Bond. There’s just something about how he can win over a woman with a single word. Man, I wish I had that kind of swagger. 😬

As for Ryan, I still think Alec Baldwin was the definitive version. Personally, I’ve always seen Harrison Ford more as Indy or Hana, and honestly, I think Assfleska was a total miss. That’s why I’m so stoked to see Chris Pine step in as the new Ryan in that upcoming project currently filming in Washington, D.C. I have a feeling he’ll nail the role. 😉

Frank Moore4 said:Right now, Michael Westen and Chance are definitely the most intense ones. Just a little side note, though—I’ve always been more of a Bond guy. I mean, the man can win over any woman with just a single word. I’d give anything to be James Bond for a day. 😬

As for Ryan Reynolds, I still feel like Alec Baldwin was the definitive version for me. I always saw Harrison Ford more as Indiana Jones or Hana, and honestly, I think Assfleska was a total miss. That’s why I’m so excited to see Chris Pine take over as the new Ryan in that upcoming project working title Washington, D.C. I have a feeling he'll handle the role perfectly. 😉

My very first spy was Bond, and just like any Bond girl, I was completely captivated by that handsome super-spy. To me, Sean Connery is the one and only.

You make a good point about Baldwin, and I totally agree; while Ford is an incredible actor, he didn't quite capture the essence of what Ryan is all about.
When I watched Baldwin as Ryan, it didn't feel like I was watching an actor playing a part; it felt like I was looking at a real spy who just happened to be in front of the camera...

And if those two agents ever ended up on opposite sides of a mission, Ryan would almost certainly come out on top. Charm only gets you so far.

Nicole Torres97 said:And if those two spy agents ever actually went head-to-head, Ryan Reynolds would definitely walk away with the win. Let's be real—charm isn't going to save you every single time.

Plus, let’s not forget that Daniel Craig is such a beast, he’d probably just absolutely flatten him. 😬

Frank Moore4 said:Besides, Daniel Craig is such a raw talent that he'd probably just beat him senseless. 😬

😁

Honestly, I’ve been sitting here thinking about this, and I have to disagree.

I feel like Daniel Craig brought this dark edge to Bond that I’m just not a fan of. There are moments where Craig's Bond loses that sense of "cool" and just becomes reckless, which means he isn't thinking clearly through his actions.
On the flip side, Ryan always seems to have such a cool head; he knows exactly what he needs to do and how to do it.😛😁

As for a physical fight... I think Ryan would end up taking a pretty serious beating, unfortunately.😢