It feels like we’ve been waiting forever for an official announcement on who the new James Bond is, and while the 007 producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson remain tight-lipped, we’ve at least learned what kind of actor they’re looking at.
No Time to Die opened in late 2021 (after pandemic-related delays) and gave Daniel Craig’s Bond a definitive ending that was daring for a franchise that simply moved on to a new face/continuity every time that gas started to run out or the actor decided to jump ship. By all accounts, the ‘Craig era’ of the franchise ended up a huge success, firmly reinvigorating both the legendary British spy and the surrounding mythology. Now, it appears we should expect a similar refresh come hell or high water.
It’s a refreshing mission statement from such a big franchise as we wade through far too many IPs that seem to be running on nostalgia nowadays, and Broccoli and Wilson are doubling down on that idea, or so it seems.
“People are playing it very safe. I think in times of crisis like this, you’ve got to be brave… It’s certainly a new era in the movie business, so we’re trying to figure it out,” Broccoli said to The Associated Press as part of a recent interview which looks back on the series’ past and asks about the key to its future.
Broccoli and Wilson aren’t comfortable at the moment with revealing a timeline for the long-awaited ‘new Bond’ announcement, though they’ve teased some things: “It will be a man. He’ll likely be in his 30s. Whiteness is not a given. And whoever says yes is doing so with the expectation of at least a decade’s worth of films.” This all sounds pretty reasonable and in the ballpark of what fans and the film community have been discussing. For reference, Craig was 37 when he signed on to play Bond, and chances are the studios and producers involved are understandably looking for someone who can carry the highly physical role on his back for a good while. Though Craig did perfectly fine in No Time to Die, it was abundantly clear by then that the actor wanted to move on to something less physically demanding.
The producers also have the right mindset walking into such a “big decision,” fully expecting the initial reaction to be ‘explosive’ until the first movie comes out: “Every time we cast a new actor, the films change. It’s the excitement of a new Bond, a new direction… Every one of these people who took on the role offered something new and different.” There’s a reason why James Bond continues to be relevant after so many years, and it’s always been his ability to become a new type of spy. Let’s hope the powers that be continue to row in that general direction.
Another James Bond announcement should also arrive whenever Hitman developer IO Interactive finally unveils its AAA project based on the famous IP, so keep an eye out for that online discourse too.
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