What if James Bond failed one of his missions and Moneypenny had to take his place? That’s more or less the premise for “Spy,” albeit with a comedic spin. The film stars Melissa McCarthy as Susan Cooper, a CIA agent who’s more than capable working behind a desk but is forced out of her comfort zone after a high-stakes operation involving her field partner, Bradley Fine, goes south. Being a middle-aged single fat woman, however, Susan is not-so-subtly looked down upon and condescended to by many of her peers. Even Fine regards her as little more than his quirky sidekick; it never even crosses his mind to consider her as a potential romantic interest (much less that she might harbor feelings for him).

“Spy” is primarily a vehicle for McCarthy — that and a scene-stealing Jason Statham, whose turn here as the overly-confident tough guy agent Rick Ford proves that he should really be hired for more comedies — but Law’s casting is essential to what makes the film tick. For all its broad humor and comical thrills, “Spy” is keenly observant of the ways society treats women as invisible and deems them undesirable and, thus, pitiable based on their age and particularly their weight (see the documentary “Your Fat Friend” for a much deeper dive into all the ways fatphobia affects our day-to-day lives). Fine isn’t deliberately cruel or patronizing to Susan; he’s just a conventionally attractive bloke who’s clearly never bothered to examine the prejudices he’s unknowingly absorbed. It’s a role that very much plays to Law’s previous experience and history on screen.

Honestly, much as Law might regret that he never fully “leaned into playing handsome” when he was younger, I’m glad he didn’t. Give me an actor who makes interesting choices like he has over a bland leading man anyday.