Ever since it was announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct Bond 26, fans have been desperate to learn more about the movie. Since it likely won’t be released until 2027 or 2028, it may be a while until we learn about any major story details, as well as who will play the next James Bond. However, it’s still fun to theorize what will inspire Villeneuve’s take on the iconic British spy.

After being announced as the director of the upcoming Bond 26, Villeneuve claimed that he has been a lifelong 007 fan. This proves that he will treat the character with a lot of respect, which is a perfect way to start a new era for the franchise. He has also revealed that his favorite James Bond movie is Casino Royale, one of the most acclaimed entries in the series.

Villeneuve’s personal connection to the franchise should ᴀssure fans that Bond 26 will be great. However, as we wait for more news, it’s also worth reflecting on his previous movies to theorize about what his 007 movie will look like. In particular, I believe Blade Runner 2049‘s central character proves that Bond 26 could be one of the best movies in the long-running franchise.

Officer K’s Arc In Blade Runner 2049 Proves Bond 26 Could Be Great

With Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve proved that he can make an excellent legacy sequel which honors the original movie while also telling its own intriguing story. While Bond 26 shouldn’t be considered a legacy sequel, it’s crucial that Villeneuve honors the history of the franchise. While doing so, he also needs to make dedicated fans excited for this new era of James Bond.

To accomplish this goal, audiences need to be captivated by the new version of 007 that will be introduced in Bond 26. This is easier said than done, as there are undoubtedly high standards for the next James Bond actor, especially after Daniel Craig’s exceptional run as the spy. However, Blade Runner 2049‘s Officer K proves that Villeneuve will deliver an amazing version of James Bond.

At the start of Blade Runner 2049, Officer K (Ryan Gosling) is presented as a pretty emotionless replicant. He is a loner who spends his life hunting down other replicants, which means that he doesn’t have a community he can go to for solace. Similarities can definitely be drawn between K and James Bond, who spends most of his life alone on missions all over the world.

In Blade Runner 2049, Villeneuve ensures that K is a complex and fascinating character, specifically by exploring his relationship with Joi (Ana de Armas), an AI who is designed to be his perfect companion. Because of his somewhat unemotional nature, K could have been a very boring character, but Villeneuve doesn’t let that happen.

K’s arc in Blade Runner 2049 suggests that James Bond will also be fleshed out in Bond 26. Hopefully, it will explore how the spy views others, as well as himself. In some older James Bond movies, 007 has been a one-note character, but I believe Villeneuve will take extra care to make sure that is not the case.

James Bond Needs To Be A Complex Character In Bond 26

Certain James Bond movies don’t seem interested in exploring the character’s inner thoughts and feelings at all. In the ’70s and ’80s, this might not have been a major criticism, but that’s definitely not the case today. Most modern moviegoers will definitely not enjoy watching a womanizing secret spy who seemingly cares about nothing and no one.

Therefore, it’s essential that James Bond is complex in Villeneuve’s movie, especially after Craig’s run. In last five movies, Bond fell hard for not one, but two women, and even had a child with one of them. Furthermore, films like Casino Royale, Skyfall, and No Time to Die effectively explored his relationship with his coworkers and were not afraid to show a more vulnerable side of the character.

Now is not the time to revert James Bond back to how he was portrayed in previous eras. Instead, Bond 26 needs to piggyback off of Craig’s run of films and continue to reveal deeper layers of the spy. To do this, Villeneuve should approach him exactly how he did Officer K while he was making Blade Runner 2049.

Officer K and James Bond were both trained to be completely loyal to their superiors. In Villeneuve’s acclaimed sci-fi movie, K is shown to be incredibly effective at his job, but slowly starts to become more and more rebellious, which is a trait that is practically always ᴀssociated with Bond.

K embarks on this character arc because he allows his emotions to guide his actions. His vulnerability and emotions being put on display makes him a fascinating character to follow in Blade Runner 2049, and hopefully the same will be said about James Bond in the franchise’s next movie.

If Villeneuve puts enough care into the project, then Bond 26 could give us our best James Bond ever, potentially even surpᴀssing Craig’s incredibly complex version of the character.