The newest character reveal for 007: First Light introduces a man who built his influence from the ground up and now commands a sprawling criminal network across the Western Hemisphere. Charismatic, unpredictable, and operating far beyond the reach of conventional authority, he stands as one of the game’s most striking figures — and he is portrayed by none other than Lenny Kravitz.
A Reveal with a Sudden Twist
The announcement arrived with a hint of morning chaos. The official James Bond social media channels briefly published the character trailer earlier today — almost certainly ahead of schedule. It vanished again moments later, only to re-emerge during the Video Game Awards, where it finally received the dramatic rollout it was meant to have. As entrances go, it was fittingly messy for a character defined by disruption and charisma.
Bawma and the City of Aleph — Introducing Lenny Kravitz’s Complex New Character
The reveal also introduced a major new location for the story: Aleph, a fictional city in Mauritania. This desert metropolis serves as the seat of power for Bawma, portrayed by Lenny Kravitz, whose performance marks his first major role in a video game. Bawma is the enigmatic leader of a vast black-market arms network operating across the Western Hemisphere — a man who rose from modern piracy to become a force capable of reshaping entire regions. By the age of seventeen, he had already climbed through the ranks, transforming an abandoned ship graveyard in Mauritania into the foundation of his empire.
Crucially, Bawma is positioned as a character who will blur the line between ally and adversary throughout Bond’s journey — someone whose shifting motives keep both Bond and the player guessing.
Even before the new trailer at the Game Awards, we had already seen fleeting glimpses of Aleph’s world in the original Reveal Trailer: moments of Bond leaping between raised platforms in a sprawling ship graveyard, and another shot of him dangling alongside John Greenway above a crocodile enclosure. In the newer footage, we get an even clearer look at the creatures below — all female, and these scaly Bondgirls seem to have a very real appetite for him. The real question now is: how will Bond escape this situation? Will he pull off a daring move worthy of Live and Let Die and sprint across their backs, or will First Light offer an entirely new twist on a classic Bond predicament?
Kravitz himself described Bawma with striking clarity:
“The Bond franchise has such an incredible legacy in video games, so to step into it with a brand-new character like Bawma is amazing. He’s magnetic and unpredictable, there’s danger in him, but also heart and purpose. He’s not just a man with power; he is a man who has to fight for every inch of it. Bringing that energy into 007’s world felt incredible.”
Mauritania: Africa’s Cinematic Sahara Frontier
Mauritania is an inspired choice for a Bond adventure. Much of the country lies deep within the Sahara, with over two-thirds of its territory covered by desert. Temperatures often surge beyond 45°C, shaping a landscape of extremes: towering dunes, wind-sculpted plateaus, isolated settlements and hundreds of kilometres of Atlantic coastline. Along the west coast lies the haunting Bay of Nouadhibou, where rusting shipwrecks stretch along the shore like the ribs of forgotten giants — a sight that already feels like concept art for a spy mission.
Inland, ancient caravan routes and nomadic traditions meet vast expanses with little infrastructure or oversight, creating an environment steeped in mystery, opportunity and danger. It’s precisely the kind of frontier where intelligence services clash with criminal networks, and where a young Bond must learn to adapt quickly or be swallowed by the heat and distance.
What we’ve seen so far suggests a landscape that also echoes earlier desert settings in the Bond films — from the tense sequences around Tangier and the Sahara in SPECTRE, to the parched terrain that stood in for the Atacama Desert in Quantum of Solace. Mauritania carries that same blend of exposure and volatility, making it a natural arena for espionage and escalation.
Lenny Kravitz: The Music Icon Behind the Villain
Lenny Kravitz isn’t just a recognizable name — he’s one of the defining voices of modern rock. Born in New York City, he emerged with a style that fused rock, soul, funk, blues, and psychedelia into a genre-spanning signature sound. His discography is packed with global hits like Are You Gonna Go My Way, Fly Away, It Ain’t Over ’Til It’s Over, American Woman, and Again — songs that shaped decades of radio and music television.
He holds the record for the most consecutive Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance, winning four years in a row. His albums have gone multi-platinum, his world tours sell out arenas, and his stage presence — confident, rhythmic, and effortlessly cool — has become iconic in its own right.
At the Game Awards, Kravitz stepped on stage not as a performer for 007: First Light, but to present the nominees and winner of the Sound & Music category. However, the fact that he appears in the game as a musician in a cameo role strongly suggests he may contribute to the soundtrack in some capacity. It’s the kind of creative overlap that feels almost too obvious to ignore.
Still, the key question remains unanswered: who is performing the game’s title song?
Until now, the leading suspect was Lana Del Rey, whose cinematic style seemed like a natural fit. But with Kravitz now stepping into the spotlight — both in-game and onstage — the mystery has become far more intriguing.
Kravitz on Screen
Alongside his musical career, Kravitz has built a steadily expanding acting résumé. His performance in Precious earned critical praise for its subtle intensity, while his portrayal of Cinna in The Hunger Games left a memorable mark with warmth and quiet defiance. Roles in films like The Butler further demonstrated his grounded and understated charisma.
In 007: First Light, Kravitz steps into a role that naturally raises the question of how his character will play off Bond. Will their exchanges echo the kind of wary, unpredictable rapport Bond once shared with Valentin Zukovsky — shifting between tension, negotiation and reluctant cooperation? It’s a dynamic worth watching closely as the story unfolds.
