Has no place in our age. James Bond was like a new Achilles whose every imperfection was forgiven because he was touched by the Gods.
Today it's no longer acceptable for him to be a hero.
So does it matter who plays 007? It's not real - just another castrated PC action flick which has nothing in common with the original but the names of some characters.
The relevance or irrelevance of the Bond character to the contemporary era was addressed in the franchise itself way back in GoldenEye: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tEujAIjTldk
shareIn a perfect world, the next james bond would be a northern black woman doing white face.
shareGood analysis. It's just part of the death of meritocracy. James Bond as a character is a very flawed human. He's cold, lacks empathy, and he's likely a sociopath. But he gets the job done when nobody else can. So everybody forgives because he's the one that saves the day. He represents the asshole, but the asshole you want as close as possible you when the shit hits the fan.
But that's the old western mindset. In the new one, meritocracy is dispensable. Getting the job done has become secondary, now feelings matter.
You're right. And it's sad. It's just part of the bloody decline of our society.