by Ben Bradley
The most recent Bond movie, No Time to Die, officially did something that no other movie in the franchise has ever dared to do: kill James Bond. This wasn’t a fakeout unlike previous attempts in the franchise either. The writers confirmed separately that the missile strike at the end did officially finish off the spy, which makes sense as it would have been a difficult task to write Bond a believable escape from that fate.
For the first time in decades, the franchise is a little up in the air. Long-term fans and movie lovers don’t genuinely believe that the studio will permanently keep the character dead, simply because he is one of their most bankable and profitable properties. From a business point of view, it would be crazy to dump the franchise altogether. As we’ve already said here at StarburstMagazine.com before, it’s not a question of ‘if’ but ‘who’ will be the next Bond.
One question that has been doing the rounds on the Internet, however, is whether Bond should be continued. With a long legacy of countless Bond iterations and plenty of other spy heroes out there to explore or bring to the silver screen, some people are questioning whether the franchise needs to be continued at all. Opinions, as always, are very divided.
Retiring The Licence To Kill
The main reasoning behind the calls to permanently retire the character is that, as a main protagonist, every single story that could be told has already been told, even twice in some cases. We are now over 60 years into a franchise with the same character and unlike other incredibly long-lived characters like The Doctor from Doctor Who, Bond has always been portrayed with the same characterizations and traits.
Some have suggested that the franchise could continue on with a new character, perhaps finally a female one, although it’s hard to see the box office appeal without the big name to it. There’s also the issue that taking Bond out of the films will make it difficult to separate the franchise from all the other spy thrillers out there.
A Bygone Era?
Along the same lines, there’s an argument that the super-spy and his extensive list of famous personality traits are no longer compatible with the modern world. The elite, super-rich class of VIP men is quite quickly losing popularity in the world with fewer and fewer people connecting with the character.
Things like high-end luxury cars have had their images somewhat watered down over the years as they’ve become more available to everyone, while things like the high-roller gambling lifestyle are now accessible via alternatives, beyond glitzy and glamorous casinos. For example, one brief look at the listings on CasinoReviews.com (one of many online casino directories) will prove that there are hundreds of sites out there, offering players classic table games and even immersive live variants of these popular old-school favorites. A taste of high-roller life no longer requires a long trip to Monte Carlo or a mandatory tuxedo.
Put simply: things that once made Bond an iconic male role model don’t quite line up with newer male ideals.
In Defence Of 007
The arguments supporting the continuation of the character usually come down to a handful of things. To start with, the character is an icon with such an indisputable legacy that letting him simply fall away would feel like something of a tragedy. Bond is one of the most popular British creations ever, and the British feel a particular affection for him. This was highlighted when Daniel Craig appeared in character alongside the late Queen Elizabeth for a small segment in the Olympics as reminisced by Scotsman.com.
As for the character feeling ‘out-of-date’, many see Bond as a perfect way to shift expectations of male role models for the modern age. Plenty of young men still look up to Bond as a shining example of what it means to be a man, so rather than doing away with him, subtle shifts to his portrayal could do wonders to influence positive change in future generations.
At the end of the day, Bond isn’t realistically going anywhere. Modern Hollywood knows the value of a recognizable brand and money will talk louder than anything else. We’re still waiting on official news about any upcoming Bond projects with an entirely new, non-Fleming story being rumored, but it feels far more like a matter of ‘when’ than ‘if’ now.
