TheJames Bondfranchise is setting up for a new era at its new home, Amazon MGM Studios. To succeed beyondBond 26,the next iteration of the franchise must do something they failed to do in the last two eras.While there have been manyJames Bond actorsover the years, the franchise is coming off of a strong high after Daniel Craig’s tenure in the role. Still, there was a glaring issue with his overall time as Bond, just like with Pierce Brosnan before him, that must be avoided in the future.
James Bond as a franchise has had many ups and downs over the years. Every actor save one has played the character in multiple films, and many have starred in both theworst and the best James Bond films. Grown out of the general premise of an MI6 superspy fighting against international crime,much of the original texture of the Ian Fleming novels has been lost.There is hope that the new era of the franchise, which has many rumored candidates for the lead, including Aaron Taylor-Johnson as Bond, will be able to find a unique yet faithful tone.
Pierce Brosnan & Daniel Craig’s First Bond Movies Were Their Best
Most Audiences Agree That Goldeneye And Casino Royale Were The Strongest Of Each Respective Run
Arguably,the first James Bond movies starring Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig —GoldeneyeandCasino Royale,respectively — were the best Bond filmsthat each actor made. While many, including this author, might disagree aboutCasino Royale, seeingJames Bond’s journey inSkyfallas the best story for Craig’s iteration of the hero, audience reception, in general, would disagree. Both critics and audiences gaveCasino Royalethe highest ratings for Craig’s Bond, and even ifSkyfallwas a bigger financial hit, many look back at his debut movie as one of the best Bond films of all time.
Despite being two very different reboots of the same property, bothCasino RoyaleandGoldeneyewere helmed by the same director, Martin Campbell.
Brosnan’sGoldeneye, however, is even clearer on this front. While the film was celebrated and lauded, bringing the franchise into a new, blockbuster modern era after the excellent but darker turn of Timothy Dalton’s Bond,Brosnan’s subsequent films all failed to live up to the quality of his debut.WhileThe World is Not Enoughwas liked by some,Tomorrow Never Diesand especiallyDie Another Daywere considered misses for the franchise overall. Disappointingly, then, it would appear that both of these Bonds peaked in their first appearances.
For James Bond’s Future As A Franchise, The New Actor Must Avoid Peaking In Their Debut
The Next James Bond Will Need To Grow And Evolve Throughout The Series
The next era of the James Bond franchise does need to start with a great film to renew interest in the series. However, once that is done,the series will need to retain and even elevate that level of quality if Amazon wishes to build a sustainable franchise.With a greater eye to the larger series, rather than approaching each film individually, there should be some room for the characters to grow and to tell larger stories against a backdrop that can become familiar and loved by audiences.
Sean Connery’s Bond filmsmight be a good template for this. While the actor started on a smaller scale in the very strongDr. No,it was his second appearance as the character inFrom Russia With Lovethat allowed the series to grow and evolve.The tone inFrom Russia With Lovewas balanced, and it brought in so many details that would go on to become hallmarks of the series, including Q’s gadgets, real-world paranoia, and excellent humor. This was iterated upon even further in the progressing films, with many consideringGoldfingerto be the best of Connery’s run.
1962
1963
1964
1965
1967
1969
1971
Live and Let Die
1973
1974
1977
1979
1981
1983
1985
1987
1995
1997
1999
2002
2006
2008
2012
2015
2021
Daniel Craig
Looking back, it is much easier to organize and understand the different eras of James Bond. Some details worked, and there were times when the envelope was pushed too far. While in theRoger Moore Bond films, the actor’s debonair wit and style were effective components of films likeThe Spy Who Loved Me,they often veered too far into camp as the series progressed.By leaning too hard into the things that worked, films likeA View to a Killfelt tired and overdone by the time they were released.
It is not easy to build an enormous franchise, and the way this is done has changed significantly in recent years. Rather than approaching the new James Bond on a film-by-film basis,there is the potential to build a larger product out of it that Amazon surely wishes for.Whoever they cast in the role of Bond, whether Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, or anybody else, the difficult task will be to make strong films that also contribute to the strength of the series overall.
Amazon’s Control Of James Bond May Complicate The “First Movie” Debate
The Future Of Bond May Look Very Different From Previous Eras
While there has been much discussion about the future of the movie franchise, it is notable thatJames Bond is now under the control of Amazon MGM, and the studio is rumored to have bigger plans for the series. The conversation around the franchise suggested that Barbara Broccoli eventually gave up the rights after a stalemate between parties, with Broccoli wishing to keep the Bond franchise entirely theatrical, whileAmazon wished to make it more akin to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with interconnected shows and movies.If this occurs, the next era of Bond will be difficult to assess.
Amazon seems to care about the franchise, and even if there are worries about its direction without the Broccoli family involved, there will certainly be some good to come out of whatever changes the new studio makes to the property.
The first step to evolving the franchise occurred earlier this week. Interestingly, the newJames Bond video game007 First Lightcarries Amazon’s name in its opening credits, and shows a new iteration of Bond that aligns closely with the Ian Fleming novels. InCasino Royale,Fleming even wrote that Bond has"a three-inch scar showing whitely down the sunburned skin of the right cheek.“While no live-action Bonds have had this physical marker, it is evident in the footage for the new video game, suggesting the path Amazon may also be following with their next film.
How James Bond becomes a larger, more interconnected franchise is difficult to know at this time.There is some speculation that Prime Video may produce programs starring characters like Moneypenny or M, in addition to theatrical films.Building a larger world like this would change the foundations of the franchise and make it that much harder to discuss as one distinct entity. Some pieces will work, and others will not, culminating in an era of James Bond that is much harder to assess so simply.
The future of James Bond will surely be made known sometime soon. Amazon seems to care about the franchise, and even if there are worries about its direction without the Broccoli family involved,there will certainly be some good to come out of whatever changes the new studio makes to the property. With a new actor yet to be confirmed and plans yet to be announced,Bond 26can hopefully be a very special movie. However, it is just as important that the franchise will grow from there, and become even better over time.
