The last entry in the venerable James Bond series of films, No Time To Die, proved itself to be a little bit of a die by dramatically killing off the hero in the final act. This isn’t one of those movie fake-out deaths either as it would be ludicrous for any writer to find a way for Bond to come back after being blown to pieces in a missile strike.
With that said, the license holders aren’t likely to be giving up on one of their most profitable properties any time soon and veteran film fans are all asking what comes next.
The Bond Legacy
To say that James Bond has had a lasting impact on the world is a major understatement. Over the years he has been seen as an ideal masculine figure and a flawless style icon.
It’s perhaps no surprise that people seek to emulate Bond’s energy in their daily lives, whether that’s through dressing the part, driving a flashy car, or even partaking in some of Bond’s iconic hobbies. For example, within the blockbuster series, Bond is frequently seen playing card games. Once upon a time, his game of choice was baccarat. Yet in more recent adaptations, Bond has also taken up poker, using the opportunity to flex his poker face skills against formidable opponents like Le Chiffre.
Since the series started to really hit its top popularity, tens of thousands have picked up casino games of all types with players looking up all the ins and outs of poker, what makes the best baccarat strategy, and exactly what all the terms of a roulette wheel actually mean. There are countless players around baccarat tables or playing rounds of craps who would have simply never thought to go in the first place without 007’s influence.
(photo source pixabay)
Between the style, the icon, and the pastimes, Bond has always had a very heavy pair of shoes to step into, and now that he’s canonically dead, that entire process would be even more problematic for a new actor. There are a couple of ways they could go about it, however.
The Options
There has been a prevailing theory from times before the Internet which is, rather than being his legal name, James Bond is a code name for the top MI6 operative at the time, and so when an operative is killed or retired, a new person takes up the mantle. This theory was originally debunked as, prior to Daniel Craig, each Bond was confirmed to be the exact same character with links between stories.
Craig’s Bond was the start of a reboot, however, and that character’s death opens the writers up to revisiting this theory and making it an established fact. Many of the supporting cast in the series are both established and still young enough to continue in their roles, so a new actor coming in would be treated as a genuine newcomer.
(photo source pixabay)
The only caveat to this kind of story is that it would have to be something entirely new, as there are no original novels that feature the concept. This would be a significant departure and many fans are wondering whether the license holders will instead opt for another reboot rather than risk straying too far from the source.
So far, there has been no official news on what comes next with Bond beyond gossip and rumors, and it would be expected that whatever follows No Time To Die would be kept as far under wraps as possible for maximum effect. Until we see anything confirmed, the fans and the forums are likely to keep the theories burning and these often turn out to be just as entertaining as the movies themselves.
