James Bond - Relevant or Time to Die?
- ibetyoudidntsee
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
The search for Daniel Craig's successor is in full swing and who is picked to carry the torch on is very much a hot topic in the cinema world at the moment. But there is one question that we should be asking...
Should there be a new Bond?
Granted, yes, people will flock to a new film. 007: First Light flew off the shelves and has really taken a huge step in helping push the franchise in a new direction, but is it really going to work in the film franchise?
First up, who is up for the role? Well, according to Oddschecker (as of June 2026), David Mitchell was 5000-1, Jeremy Clarkson was 1000-1 (honestly, surprisingly short odds...), David Beckham was at 200-1 (I mean come on, who isn't betting on him?) and Emma Watson is a better bet at 33-1 than Daniel Radcliffe, Oliver Phelps (both 100-1) and Eddie Redmayne (66-1)!
The more serious contenders are starting to show themselves. Henry Cavill, an early favourite, is drifting away at 12-1 and another early contender Theo James slots in at 10-1. The big four are Aaron Taylor-Johnson and Jacob Elordi at 5-1 and Harris Dickinson at 4-1 falling some way behind the outright favourite in Callum Turner at 11-8. Personally, I would be surprised if they pick Elordi as he isn't British.
What does this tell us? Bond could be going in a very different direction. But I am not convinced this is going to work. Run with me here - I have good reason.
Daniel Craig came in as an established actor who was suitably well known. Certainly more that some of the favourites. Casino Royale (2006) was a reboot of the franchise, in a way. Judi Dench remained as M - perhaps this was as a way on linking the previous era to the new, maybe it was to keep the idea that the name James Bond is as much of a code name as 007. Allegedly, Dench's two M characters are not supposed to be the same person.
SPOILER ALERT. Now considering Craig's Bond was killed off in 2021's No Time to Die, having had his films tied into an overriding story arc, revisiting story lines from previous Bond films (i.e. his relationship with Madeline) and giving him a family, is the next bond even going to make sense? While Lashana Lynch carried the 007 title for part of that last film, she isn't even in consideration as the next bond, showing they are keeping Bond male (despite Emma Watson's clear late run-in for the role).
My other issue is one from 2012's Skyfall. If James Bond is going to be made into a code name, are they going to make Craig's 007 the "real" James Bond or hide him behind a code name? In Skyfall, he see's his parent's grave, and his story is partially revealed. He is even recognised by Kinkaid (Albert Finney), the family's old games-keeper. So to kill him off... it doesn't fit for me to bring someone new in without changing the whole background of the character.
Amazon MGM have made it clear that the 26th Bond film will be another reboot, with a younger Bond. Stephen Knight, the writer for the next film, has not given anything away except that he compares Bond legacy to that of Robin Hood and King Arthur, and we have seen so many iterations of them.
What with Casino Royale being a reboot, showing the originals of Bond in a modern setting, and now Bond 26 being another reboot, this is turning into another Spiderman situation, except in reverse. Toby McGuire took the role first in 2002's Spiderman and did three films. Then Andrew Garfield took the mantle basically doing the same beginning and very similar films. When Tom Holland took over, the story was well established, so they skipped that part and gave him a different beginning. Bond has had the established beginning and is now showing how it started. But do we need to do it multiple times?
I don't doubt that the actor eventually chosen will take the role in their stride and make it their own, nor do I doubt that fans will flock to the cinemas to see the newest installment. I just feel that Bond's death in No Time to Die was incredibly fitting and that perhaps, controversially, Bond can end there.
25 films in 60 years, six faces. Do we need any more?
The significant and recent roles of the favourites to take over Bond
Callum Turner - Theseus Scamander in the flopped Fantastic Beasts Series (2016-2022), Nathan in Assassin's Creed (2016), Ed in Rosebush Pruning (2026).
Harris Dickinson - Prince Philip in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019), Conrad Oxford in The King's Man (2021), Nathan in Urchin (2025)
Jacob Elordi - Felix Catton in Saltburn (2023), The Creature in Frankenstein (2025), Heathcliffe in Wuthering Heights (2026)
Aaron Taylor-Johnson - Young Eisenheim in The Illusionist (2006), Quicksilver in Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014) and Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Will in Fuze (2025)
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