The next James Bond film is rounding into shape, as Denis Villeneuve has been hired as director and Steven Knight is writing the script. One piece of information fans are very eager to learn is who will play 007 this time around. Whichever actor is cast, they’ll have the unenviable task of following the footsteps of the many great thespians who have come before and try to put their own spin on the legendary character. All signs are pointing to Amazon searching for a younger man to carry the franchise forward, but one of the older Bonds would be up for a return if the opportunity presented itself.
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In an interview with Radio Times (via Deadline), former James Bond Pierce Brosnan joked that he’d be game to play a senior citizen 007 in James Bond 26. “I don’t think anyone wants to see a craggy, 72-year-old Bond, but if Villeneuve had something up his sleeve I would look at it in a heartbeat,” he said. “Why not? It’s great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics … Who knows?”
How Pierce Brosnan Could Return for James Bond 26
Based on the latest James Bond 26 reports, Villeneuve and Amazon are not seeking a “craggy, 72-year-old Bond.” At one point, the studio was said to be targeting actors in their 20s, with Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, and Harris Dickinson at the top of the wish list. That development, disappointingly, took fan-favorite choices such as Henry Cavill and Idris Elba out of the running. More recently, there was word 37-year-old Scott Rose-Marsh had a James Bond screen test this summer.
Brosnan is slightly out of that age range, but there could be a way for him to return to the franchise. Every James Bond needs an M to send him on assignments. It would be a fun full circle moment for Brosnan if he became the new M, serving as an on-screen mentor figure for the younger Bond actor. If that doesn’t pan out, perhaps he could be a veteran Q, designing elaborate gadgets for 007 to use in the field. Those two roles were most recently filled by Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw in the Daniel Craig era, but it’s unknown if any actors from those films will return for Villeneuve’s reboot.
There is precedent for cast members to be carried over from one Bond to another. Judi Dench was Brosnan’s M and later co-starred in three of the Craig films. Desmond Llewelyn was Q for decades before he passed away in 1999. Fiennes and Whishaw were strong in their respective roles, so Villeneuve may be inclined to work with them. However, as a reboot ushering in a new era for the franchise, James Bond 26 could hit the hard reset button and recast all of the principal MI6 characters. Bringing in Brosnan as M is arguably a bit too winking to be a serious possibility, but life-long Bond fan Villeneuve could see the fun in something like that and make it work.
Unfortunately, it’ll probably be a while before we learn the Bond 26 cast. Villeneuve is currently filming Dune: Messiah, which is said to be targeting a 2026 release date. Once work on the sci-fi epic is complete, then he’ll have plenty of time to turn his full attention to James Bond. Amazon is hoping Bond 26 is ready to premiere in 2028 at the earliest, so fans should be patient as they sift through the latest rumblings and speculation.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
