'Mary Poppins' sequel cast news: 'James Bond' actor Ben Whishaw could play grown-up Michael Banks

Ben Whishaw, who plays Q in the James Bond films, is in talks to appear in the upcoming "Mary Poppins" sequel as an adult Michael Banks.

Michael was one of the children cared for by Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews), the magical nanny, in the original film.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Michael will be a key figure in the highly anticipated sequel. The film, which is set 25 years after the events in the 1964 musical fantasy classic, will find Michael, now a father of three, suffering a personal loss and reuniting with Jane, his big sister, who was played in "Mary Poppins" by Karen Dotrice.

Michael's situation will result in the arrival of Mary, who will be played by Emily Blunt, and unfortunately, her friend Bert, who was originally played by Dick Van Dyke, will not return for the movie. However, a new character named Jack, a streetlamp lighter, will be portrayed in the sequel by "Hamilton" star Lin-Manuel Miranda. In the upcoming film, Mary, alongside Jack, will come to help the family in their time of need.

The sequel will be set in Depression-era London.

Apart from his work in the James Bond films "Skyfall" (2012) and "Spectre" (2015), Whishaw has also received critical acclaim for his starring role in "London Spy," a BBC miniseries, and "The Lobster," a romantic sci-fi drama that also starred Colin Farrell and Rachel Weisz.

Whishaw is the latest actor reported to be boarding the upcoming "Mary Poppins" sequel. Last month, Variety reported that Meryl Streep was in talks to take on the role of Topsy Tartlet, Mary's cousin, a role that was not in the beloved 1964 original. According to the outlet, Streep would lend her singing chops to the role, as she did for "Into The Woods" (2014).

The sequel reunites Streep with "Into the Woods" co-star Blunt, director Rob Marshall, and producers John DeLuca and Marc Platt.

In May, Disney announced that the sequel's title is "Mary Poppins Returns."

"I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers' further adventures to the screen," Marshall said in a statement at the time. "The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation."

The film, which begins production in London in early 2017, is set to hit theaters on Dec. 25, 2018.