It’s understandable to be nervous about Bond 26 since it will be the start of a new era in the franchise, but two specific James Bond movies make me think it could be great. Not much is known about the upcoming Bond 26, but we should receive more updates soon now that Amazon has full creative control of the franchise. Even though 2021’s No Time to Die was a major success, progress has been slow on the next entry. This is likely because of the reported behind-the-scenes feud between Amazon executives and Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

Even though Broccoli and Wilson inherited the franchise from their father, Albert Broccoli, they will not be involved in future James Bond movies. Instead, Amazon has hired Amy Pascal and David Heyman to produce films for the new era of the franchise. Since so many significant changes are happening behind the scenes, many fans are worried that Bond 26 could be the beginning of the end for the iconic series. After all, there’s a chance that Amazon will completely mishandle the franchise. However, GoldenEye and Casino Royale give me hope that Bond 26 will be an incredible movie.

GoldenEye & Casino Royale Give Me Hope For Bond 26

GoldenEye & Casino Royale Are Two Of The Best James Bond Movies

Even though there is cause to be concerned about Bond 26, the franchise has overcome adversity in the past. The releases of 1995’s GoldenEye and 2006’s Casino Royale are two perfect examples of times the franchise reminded fans that there’s no need to worry. These two entries are especially important to examine right now, since they are the films that the last two James Bond actors debuted in. Pierce Brosnan stepped into 007’s shoes in GoldenEye and Daniel Craig debuted as Bond in Casino Royale after initially facing a lot of backlash from fans.

Before the release of GoldenEye, MGM and Eon Productions were fighting in court over the rights of the franchise. This legal battle resulted in significant delays for the next James Bond movie. Originally, Timothy Dalton was planned to return for his third Bond movie, but ultimately decided to leave the franchise because the film was delayed for so long. As a result, Brosnan stepped into the role, and his first James Bond movie, GoldenEye, was a major hit, earning an 80% on Rotten Tomatoes and making $356 million at the worldwide box office (via Rotten Tomatoes, The Numbers).

Over the past few years, the James Bond franchise has been in a similar place as it was in the early 90s. Eon Productions and Amazon, who purchased MGM in 2022, never needed to go to court, but there have been many reports of behind-the-scenes feuds. These types of problems are always concerning, but the success of GoldenEye proves that Bond 26 can overcome the adversity and still be a great movie.

Meanwhile, 11 years after the release of GoldenEye, Casino Royale started a new era of the franchise with a new continuity and a different tone. Since Craig’s version of James Bond dies at the end of No Time to Die, starting fresh is something that Bond 26 will also need to do. Fans were worried about Casino Royale before its release, but just like GoldenEye, it ended up being a major success. Casino Royale has an impressive 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and grossed $594 million at the worldwide box office (via Rotten Tomatoes, The Numbers).

Will Bond 26 Be Able To Mimic The Success Of GoldenEye & Casino Royale?

Not Much Is Known About Bond 26

Obviously, GoldenEye and Casino Royale were both major critical and commercial successes. Therefore, Bond 26 should look at these two movies for inspiration. Currently, not a lot of information is known about the next James Bond movie, but with the right plan and leadership, it could end up being one of the best films in the franchise. GoldenEye and Casino Royale both prove that even though the production process hasn’t gone smoothly, Bond 26 can still end up being a great movie.

It’s worth noting that, due to the major behind-the-scenes shakeups, Bond 26 will have a significantly different creative team than GoldenEye and Casino Royale. Not only were GoldenEye and Casino Royale both produced by Broccoli and Wilson, but they were also both directed by Martin Campbell. Because of these two films, many fans believe Campbell is the best James Bond director ever. Since he is still working as a director, Amazon could actually hire Campbell to helm yet another movie in the franchise. However, he has not been rumored for the job.

Instead, directors like Alfonso Cuarón and even Christopher Nolan have been rumored to helm Bond 26. However, any potential directors and actors for Bond 26 are only speculation at this point. Regardless of who ends up directing and starring in the next James Bond movie, it would be wise for them to study and understand exactly why both GoldenEye and Casino Royale resonated with critics and general audiences. If the creative team does this, then Bond 26 could also be one of the best movies in the franchise.

Bond 26 Could Be The Most Important James Bond Movie Ever

Can Amazon Properly Handle The James Bond Franchise?

GoldenEye and Casino Royale both marked significant turning points for the James Bond franchise. Thankfully, both of these movies were major successes and had fans asking for more. If Bond 26 does not get this kind of reception, it would not bode well for the future of the franchise. Therefore, the next James Bond movie needs to immediately get fans on board and prove that Amazon can be trusted with the beloved series.

It is also worth noting that Bond 26 is being produced at a time when some franchises are playing it quite safe to avoid fan outrage, but this is not something Amazon should do. Looking back to the release of Casino Royale (and Craig’s other Bond films), the James Bond franchise had to evolve and step its game up to compete against series like Jason Bourne and Mission: Impossible. Bond 26 needs to mimic this strategy so that it doesn’t blend in with the countless other franchises that are trying to be the new king of the spy genre.

To ensure James Bond remains one of the world’s most popular franchises, Amazon’s executives need to put in extra work to make a statement with Bond 26. Now that Amazon has full creative control, it is also likely that several James Bond spinoffs will be greenlit in the coming years. However, viewers will only watch these spinoffs if the mainline movies are received well. Therefore, if Amazon wants to expand the James Bond franchise and capitalize on the many intriguing characters, it needs Bond 26 to be a home run, just like GoldenEye and Casino Royale were many years ago.