The ‘Reset’: What Will The Next James Bond Look Like?
With Daniel Craig’s 007 taking his final bow in No Time To Die (2021), the big questions about who could possibly continue the legacy of James Bond in future films have risen to the rather tumultuous surface. With fans of Craig’s iconic portrayal mourning and skeptical about how future performances can match up, the bar has been set quite high.
Like his character following Pierce Brosnan’s portrayal, Craig himself stated that the next Bond would be a “reset”, meaning the next Bond could be completely different from what we’ve known so far. Since depictions of this iconic character have varied across different media over the many years since Ian Fleming wrote him into existence in 1953, let’s take a look at how some of these would look on-screen.
Bond in Other Media
Unsurprisingly, James Bond’s popularity across the world has led to a number of inspired depictions outside of the official franchise in games and other series. For instance, Spy x Family is currently an extremely popular, light-hearted series in Japan featuring a stern but devoted secret agent as the protagonist and a family dog named after Bond himself. In Canada, Agent Jane Blonde is a popular online slot game in the country. As the name reveals, Jane Blonde is presented as a female version of 007 and maintains the classic mysterious aura and charm that has always been present in the films, albeit in a different fashion.
Across various game depictions of Bond, though many are closer to the 007 we have known so far, there are several female depictions that have received positive reception. Looking at other ongoing series like Doctor Who, which introduced Jodie Whittaker as the first female Time Lord in 2018, it is not far-fetched to suggest that the next Bond could well follow in a similar fashion.
Bond in the Books
Going back to the roots of the franchise, Fleming’s original vision of Bond in the books was inspired by World War Two military figures and sports dark hair and a notably cold, stern look. The most notable difference between the book Bond and the film Bond that fans have identified is that the former agent appears more averse to violence, despite the action-packed nature of the franchise.
In the most recent Bond films, we’ve seen a deeper dive into the more emotional and vulnerable aspects of the stoic spy, despite his ruthless moments, with Craig himself emphasising that the death of his character was for love. It will be interesting to see whether the new Bond will continue this theme of self-exploration, or return to a sterner, inscrutable image. If, however, you’re someone who stands by the books over the films but still want to explore more spy-themed series, it’s certainly worth indulging in the original Bond novels.
While the 007 we’ve loved since his debut in Casino Royale (2006) is hard to beat, the next Bond could well be an unexpected but welcome change. It is likely that the main iconic characteristics of Britain’s most trusted secret agent will be maintained, but there is scope for a fresh perspective.
