It has been over three years since No Time To Die was released, marking Daniel Craig’s final performance as British spy James Bond. This would also mark the final Bond movie to be made without MGM’s new partner, as Amazon purchased MGM for $8.45 billion in mid-2021. Struck with several delays due to pandemic-related issues, the long road to its eventual release was worth the wait. Craig’s swan song was well-received and led to one of the most shocking conclusions in franchise history: James Bond didn’t make it out alive.
For the first time ever, James Bond was killed off, marking a drastic change for the franchise. While fully concluding Craig’s story, it also gave a clean slate to the next actor who will take up the role. For a while, that seemed to be the biggest change to the franchise’s future. Then, Amazon gained complete creative control of the franchise on February 20th, taking it away from the Broccoli family, who have held onto it for generations. The Amazon deal adds another layer to Bond’s death in No Time to Die, and also gives the franchise new life as it heads towards uncharted territory.
No Time To Die Allows Amazon A Truly Fresh Start
With No Loose Ends, Everything Can Be New
As Amazon ushers the franchise into a new era, the studio has been given a perfect setup through Craig’s ending. Every previous movie had to deal with the baggage of movies that came before it, but for the first time, James Bond is officially ᴅᴇᴀᴅ. With no reason to heavily tie future movies to the past anymore, Amazon can move the James Bond franchise forward and take the character in any number of directions. A clean slate means it can build the world from the ground up, paving the way for fresh stories and potential spin-offs.
No actor is currently attached to the James Bond role. Rumors have surrounded actors such as Theo James, Henry Cavill, and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Barbara Broccoli had been resistant to spin-offs and potential TV shows, fearing that the franchise would be treated as “content.” Part of that concern derives from fear of over-saturating the market. Previously, there were long gaps between their movie releases, leading to more fan intrigue. Now that Amazon is in charge, they’ll have to balance their desire for “content” and the possibility of fatigue, something other franchises like the MCU have dealt with.
Amazon Should Avoid Bringing Back Actors & Characters From No Time To Die
Take the Clean Slate and Run With It
Despite some wanting Ana de Armas’ Paloma to have her own James Bond spinoff, she’s already leading her own spin-off in a different action franchise with the John Wick universe’s Ballerina. Regardless, Amazon would be better off forging its own path using new characters and/or actors. Keeping any previous actor in the same role keeps the franchise in the past, preventing it from fully moving into the new era. A fresh round of new faces will rejuvenate the franchise, continuing the box office success it’s used to.
Without the boundaries of previous films, the options for the future of the franchise are limitless.
With new characters, Amazon opens up the potential for spin-offs or prequels following a young James Bond, giving us new adventures to experience. Without the boundaries of previous films, the options for the future of the franchise are limitless. Much-beloved characters like Q and M can get their time in the spotlight, while the franchise moves on to the next generation of actors who play them. Whoever takes over the role of 007 deserves to be given the same clean slate that Amazon has inherited, allowing both parties to forge ahead on a new path.
There’s One Thing The 007 Franchise Shouldn’t Do After No Time To Die
Daniel Craig’s Bond Has To Stand Alone
While some aspects of Bond films will always stay the same, there’s one thing Amazon can never do: kill James Bond. There’s a reason James Bond’s 007 hadn’t died before, but after Craig’s iteration broke the franchise’s biggest rule, nobody can do it again. The shock of Bond sacrificing himself is something that can’t be replicated, no matter how hard somebody may try. Amazon would be better off finding its own conclusions to shock audiences, truly setting it apart from the previous leadership. If the studio repeats 007’s death to less success, it would be a mᴀssive step backward.
With a franchise as popular as Bond, Amazon has to be careful with how it starts a new era in the wake of No Time To Die. An early misstep could spell doom for the franchise, and with high expectations, there will be a lot riding on their first project. There are currently no official announcements, so everything is speculation for the time being, including Amazon’s potential spin-off James Bond movies or TV shows. However, the next step is obvious: cast the next James Bond. The right casting will excite fans and show that Amazon understands how to properly direct the franchise moving forward.
