Although Pierce Brosnan’s return to the James Bond franchise might not have been entirely realistic, I’m still crestfallen to hear the star turn down this James Bond 26 premise. Four years after No Time To Die arrived in cinemas and ended Daniel Craig’s long run as 007, the future of James Bond 26 has never been less clear. In late February 2025, Amazon MGM Studios shocked the world by announcing that they would be taking over creative control of the franchise from long-time producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson.

This marks the end of an era for the series, which has been under the pair’s creative control for decades now. While not every James Bond movie was a hit with critics and viewers alike, there is no denying that every James Bond era had a well-established tone that was unique to its star. Craig brought a brooding, self-serious edge to Bond, reinvesting 007 with some of the edgy darkness seen during Timothy Dalton’s tenure in the role. Before Craig’s debut, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond movies brought back the campy humor of Roger Moore’s era after Dalton’s darker outings.

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Brosnan’s Bond Brought A Campy Sense of Humor The Franchise Needs

For viewers like me who grew up with Brosnan’s Bond, the Irishman will always be a quintessential 007. Craig’s Bond is great, but his scowling PTSD-afflicted Bond is clearly creatively indebted to the popularity of the Jason Bourne franchise. Although Brosnan’s Bond never outdid his superb debut Goldeneye, he brought a winking, self-aware sense of humor to a franchise that can sometimes take itself too seriously. Unlike some of Moore’s movies, Brosnan’s Bond outings mostly managed to balance campy humor and straightforward action without getting too goofy and silly.

While it would admittedly be unprecedented, I had hoped that there was some chance Brosnan might reprise his most iconic screen role in James Bond 26. Brosnan’s Bond comeback would have made sense in James Bond 26 since the franchise has already broken one of its biggest unspoken rules by killing off Craig’s version of 007. Judging by Brosnan’s comments in a recent GQ profile, I wasn’t completely off the mark. Brosnan admitted that he had heard about the idea of his version of 007 returning to the series, and he was intrigued. However, it wasn’t all good news.

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Brosnan Understandably Believes The Franchise Needs “Fresh Blood”

Per the profile, Brosnan said “Of course, how could I not be interested?” when asked about the prospect of returning to the role of Bond. However, he also said, “It’s a delicate situation now,” most likely referencing Amazon MGM Studio’s takeover of the brand, and concluded by adding, “I think that it’s best left to another man, really. Fresh blood.” Brosnan’s upcoming Netflix murder mystery The Thursday Murder Club proves he is still starring in big-budget, high-profile projects, but his decision to steer clear of 007 is probably the right one.

I love the thought of an older Bond actor returning to the role, and Brosnan makes much more sense than his predecessor, Timothy Dalton, in this regard. Brosnan’s Bond was always one of the most playfully self-aware versions of 007, so the idea of him coming out of retirement for one last job is the sort of cliché premise the actor could have gotten a lot of mileage from. In contrast, Dalton’s Bond was way too self-serious to return to the role after Craig’s darker movies.

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Brosnan’s Comeback Would Have Been Tricky Even Without Behind-the-Scenes Reshuffles

Although every version of Bond has its unique quirks, Brosnan’s 007 will always have a special place in the franchise. That said, I’m very aware that the actor is making the right choice by leaving the series to a new star. Amazon MGM Studios taking over the James Bond franchise leaves the future of the series in flux, and the creators should capitalize on this shake-up by doubling down.

Instead of looking to the past for inspiration, the next James Bond movie needs a new star as 007, an all-new supporting cast, and new creatives behind the scenes. This is the only way to successfully make a clean break from the earlier incarnations of the franchise, and the series needs this clean break to survive.

It would be easy for Amazon’s version of James Bond to rely on nostalgia value, and bringing back Brosnan would certainly tap into that market. However, this runs the risk of making the new movies feeling like mere retreads of earlier efforts. A new star for James Bond 26, as Brosnan himself suggested, is the only way for the James Bond franchise to truly reinvent itself for a new generation.