It’s Time to Re-evaluate James Bond
https://lebeauleblog.com/2021/10/15/its-time-to-re-evaluate-james-bond/
The Futureshare
Regardless of where you think Craig ranks as Bond, his time as 007 is over. Speculation is running rampant over who will take over the role… as it does. We long-timers have been through this a few times already. Most dramatically when Pierce Brosnan had to give up the part due to his TV obligations.
For the last several years there has been a movement to cast Idris Elba as Bond. The idea has its merits even if Elba has confirmed he is out of the running. Elba is currently 49 (only four years younger than Craig) so he’s arguably a bit old to be starting his tenure as 007. How many movies could Elba possibly make?
Still, I can’t help but hope that whatever direction the series takes it involves some kind of reinvention. There was a time when I wouldn’t have missed a James Bond movie in theaters. (In all fairness to No Time to Die, my reluctance to buy a ticket has a lot to do with the ongoing pandemic…) But the series just feels stale to me. Going back to at least the Brosnan era, questions about Bond’s relevance have been subtext if not outright text. Those questions feel very valid to me after 25 official Bond movies and countless imitators.
In this day and age, franchises are everything. I can’t imagine a time when James Bond movies aren’t being made. I’m sure the formula will continue to be updated for modern audiences. But I think the time has come for something a bit more radical than casting a blond-haired white guy. A person of color would be great if they fit the role as well as I think Elba would have. Or maybe even a female secret agent? Jane Bond could completely shake up the series.
Such a move would surely spark an internet outrage, so I doubt we’ll see a movie centered around a female 007 any time soon. But given the history of the series, it really does feel like the next logical progression to me. Whatever the future holds for the James Bond series, even if it’s another white, heterosexual male, I hope they find some way to shake things up going forward.
Unlike ten years ago where I doubled down on my own inflexible opinion, my intent this time is to open up a conversation about the James Bond franchise. How do you readers feel as the Craig era ends? Are you still invested in the series? Where would you like to see things go in the future? More of the same? Something different? I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the comments below.