Following the surprising news that Amazon has officially acquired the rights to the James Bond franchise after long negotiations, it seems like the iconic British character will be entering a new era of movies and TV shows. There have been 25 James Bond films in the official chronology, but this certainly feels like the most important update for a long time regarding the future of this series. It’s currently unclear exactly how James Bond will continue, but Amazon will surely play a large part.
Given the character’s death at the end of No Time To Die, it’s likely that Amazon will be starting fresh with a new version of the character in a totally different continuity. This would open the door for countless new spin-offs and side projects, allowing the James Bond series to finally branch out in new directions and likely find a home on Prime Video. The details of these new projects are currently under wraps (if plans exist at all), but there are some ideas that currently feel inevitable for this revamped franchise.
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James Bond 26
A Familiar, Rebooted Sequel
The most obvious place to start for Amazon’s new James Bond franchise is exactly where it left off: movies. This would be the perfect opportunity to reboot the franchise with a new face at the center (just like Casino Royale), while sticking closely to the character and backstory that was established in previous works. This would naturally have to be set in a different world than the previous series, given Bond’s death in No Time To Die, but that’s something the movies have succeeded at doing before.
The situation with Amazon’s control of James Bond is certainly complicated, but it doesn’t mean everything about the franchise has to be started again. Certain plot points and side characters from the previous movies could definitely make a return, but Bond 26 needs to feel like a fresh series if this “rebooted” era is going to succeed. It may be the 26th movie overall, but it should feel like the first in a new continuity.
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Felix Leiter TV Show
A Spin-Off About Bond’s CIA Connections
The character of Felix Leiter plays a huge role in Ian Fleming’s books, but he was notably missing from Daniel Craig’s era between Casino Royale and No Time To Die. The CIA Agent was played by Jeffrey Wright, and his fraternal rivalry with Bond was among the strongest aspects of that film. Amazon would be missing out if they didn’t bring Wright back for this inevitable spin-off, but it may be safer (and less confusing) to recast the character for the new era and turn this show into a crime/thriller origin story.
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Paloma TV Show
A Spin-Off Focusing On Ana De Armas’ Bond Girl
Of all the Bond girls in this long-running franchise, Ana de Armas’ character Paloma is certainly one of the most memorable. Despite only having a few minutes of screen time in No Time To Die, she left a huge impression that had fans begging for more. While it’s almost certain we’ll never see her with Craig’s version of Bond again, there’s no reason she can’t be involved in a more self-contained spin-off show. If it goes well, she could even appear in the movies to bridge the gap between the eras, much like Judi Dench did in Casino Royale.
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Commander James Bond TV Show
A Prequel Series About Bond’s Time In The Navy
James Bond’s naval history is one of the most interesting things about Ian Fleming’s character, but it’s rarely been explored in the movies. This spin-off show could explore a more book-accurate version of the character, detailing the many adventures he had as a naval commander before becoming 007. It could also exist separately from the movies, as a younger version of Bond would need a different, younger actor.
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James Bond Origin Story
A Prequel Movie About How Bond Became 007
Throughout the James Bond movies, audiences have only been given brief hints of how James Bond became 007. Even in the first movies of each actor’s tenure, the character is usually pretty experienced and comfortable with his work. Including an “origin story” of sorts in Amazon’s upcoming slate would be an interesting and exciting addition to the James Bond canon, breaking up the timeline and giving audiences a break from constant sequels. The franchise has even considered doing a James Bond prequel before, so this seems very likely.
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Classic Movie Remakes
Updated Versions Of Classic James Bond Movies
Remakes are all the rage in today’s cinematic climate, and it’s frankly surprising that nobody has tried to remake the ‘60s Bond movies already. However, with the main series of films firmly ended and no commitments in place to carry on the saga, now seems like the most probable time for it to happen. There are several aspects of these early movies that could be effectively updated for modern audiences, but Amazon would have to ensure they’re not seen to be erasing the franchise’s history.