Denis Villeneuve has officially been confirmed as the director for the upcoming Bond 26, and the decision took many fans of the franchise by surprise. Villeneuve’s filmography leans heavily towards elevated science fiction above all else, and that’s very different from the typical grounded thrillers that James Bond fans are used to.

However, there are still plenty of examples in Villeneuve’s catalog that prove he’s the man for the job when it comes to making a fresh, original Bond movie. Although he’s fairly new to the genre, his works have clearly been inspired by James Bond over the years, and there’s one particular movie from the previous decade that serves as a fitting audition for Villeneuve’s new take on Bond.

Sicario Is An Underrated Political Action Movie

The Film Employs Many Tricks That Villeneuve Could Bring To Bond

Sicario is rarely considered among Denis Villeneuve’s best movies, but it has every right to be. Starring Benicio del Toro, Emily Blunt, and Josh Brolin, this gritty action movie follows the ongoing conflict between the FBI and the Mexican cartel over their operations at the U.S. border. Its grounded, down-to-earth narrative is very different from the typical sci-fi and fantasy elements of Villeneuve’s works.

While movies like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 have the slick visuals and dynamic camerawork that audiences have come to expect from James Bond blockbusters, it’s quieter pictures like Sicario that really prove how much Villeneuv’’s storytelling abilities have been influenced and crafted by classic thrillers like the early Bond movies. Villeneuve has repeatedly expressed his love for James Bond, and it’s never been clearer than in Sicario.

Villeneuve Should Bring Sicario’s Gritty Style To James Bond

The Director Could Reinvent The Bond Franchise

While it’s too early to predict exactly what Villeneuve’s Bond 26 is going to look like, it certainly makes sense to look back at the director’s filmography to get an idea of the kind of style that he’s going to bring to the project. If Sicario is anything to judge by, Amazon’s new James Bond franchise will be in very strong hands.

Bond clearly needs to separate itself from the previous installments in order to forge its own idenтιтy going forward, and a much darker, grittier method of storytelling seems like a very promising way to do this. There’s obviously a reason that Amazon decided to bring Villeneuve on board for Bond 26, and their decision to hire such a famous auteur speaks volumes to the studio’s intentions.

Rebooting and revitalizing James Bond for a new generation is the primary goal of this new franchise, so it can’t just be a repeat of Daniel Craig’s era — or any of the James Bond actors who came before him. Bond 26 needs to have a clear idenтιтy of its own, and Sicario‘s politically charged, blood-soaked storytelling would be a fascinating new route.