Who’s your vote for the next James Bond?

[TiQuinn]

Well, that is classic but also a terrible cliche, says the Korean-English person. Le Carre is all very well, as is Slow Horses, but I’d like something different. Cynicism is boring, sometimes. The intelligence services act as the suspicion of the nation, but nations can aspire to become better. As I said earlier, I’d like a Bond I can root for, not someone who’s just yet another cog in the international murder machine.

It’s actually quite realistic that you’d want an active field agent to be able to make decisions of the fly, and while you would generally want them to prioritise the mission (whatever that may be) you would also want them to be able to make the best decision at the time, and that can include the morality and ethics of the situation. The history of intelligence and military operations is full of examples of when people who were supposed to obey orders without question did not in fact do so for moral reasons, to the greater good (or, in a few cases, to the survival of the species). Those people should be celebrated as heroes.

You wouldn’t want everyone to act like a Starfleet officer, as it were, but if you have one agent whose job it is to do the right thing and do it well, because he basically operates under a version of superheroic tropes (which cinematic Bond often does already) then you might want that chap to be able to change the plan as needed.

I’d think you’d have to make it clear in such a portrayal that M, Moneypenny, and Bond are quite exceptional to both the civil service and the intelligence services, and that many in the government might think their approach to be a dangerous liability, but as long as they keep on winning it’s hard to argue with. That would be an arc over several films.

I mean, I would argue that’s exactly what we’ve had in the Craig Bond movies.

 

[Guest 85555]

I mean, when we're 'diagnosing' fictional characters with specific mental disorders from reading a Wikipedia page, it's not really a conversation with any possible conclusion, is it? You're not a doctor, Bond isn't real, and we certainly haven't put him through a strenuous psychological evaluation.

Bond was created long before shows started doing the Tony Soprano thing and having writers working backwards from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to create characters (this isn't a knock on Tony Soprano, I love that character, but I don't think the movies are trying to give you information so you can consistently diagnose the character with a condition). I think with a spy craft movie or show like Bond, my expectation is the guy is going to kill people and not feel particularly bad about it. He has a license to kill after all. And these aren't diplomatic missions. You can have different types of Bond, but after years of Craig, I would really want to go back to a Bond who embraces the tropes more and isn't super self reflective about it. Now that could mean someone who is more mission focused like a Dalton (I like him and Connery Best) but he could mean going back to a Connery style bond or a Moore (I don't like Moore, but my impression is he is maybe the or one of the most popular Bonds, so that might not be a bad mold to shoot for). I do know I am utterly tired of Craig and wasn't super enthusiastic during his era). Personally I'd like to see them move away from the meathead physique (I just feel like he was clearly a product of the UFC era) and bring back a more suave Bond again.

 

[Morrus]

Personally I'd like to see them move away from the meathead physique (I just feel like he was clearly a product of the UFC era) and bring back a more suave Bond again.

For me, Craig and Connery felt like they could actually win a fight. Moore, Lazenby, and Brosnan? Not a chance! Dalton is kinda middle-ground.

 

[TiQuinn]

For me, Craig and Connery felt like they could actually win a fight. Moore, Lazenby, and Brosnan? Not a chance! Dalton is kinda middle-ground.

Speaking of fights, the character I would love to see them bring back is Jaws. Easily my favorite henchman. And I’ve got the perfect casting:

Olivier Richters | Actor

Known for: Black Widow, The King's Man, Gangs of London

m.imdb.com

 

[Guest 85555]

For me, Craig and Connery felt like they could actually win a fight. Moore, Lazenby, and Brosnan? Not a chance! Dalton is kinda middle-ground.

I agree that both Craig and Connery feel physically tougher. And Connery pulls of being more solid while remaining suave for me. Craig has just always felt too much like a UFC fighter or football player for my taste (I love UFC, but that isn’t what I am looking for in Bond). I think Dalton would be my favorite in terms of looks and physique for the role (he doesn’t look like a tank, but he is angular, agile and very believable firing a gun). I really liked Dalton as Bond

 

[Guest 85555]

Moore, Lazenby, and Brosnan?

Brosnan always struck me as too slender. I don’t especially like his Bond but I get why people might. He doesn’t look like much of a fighter but he is charming and they seemed to be leaning into that aspect of the character. Also it was the 90s. I feel like we got a lot of slender action heroes in the 90s after a decade of characters like John Rambo

 

[payn]

I hate to say it, but I dont think you are ever going to see a male actor in leading role without an oiled up six pack MMA lookin dude except if its Robert Deniro or Al Pacino.

 

[Guest 85555]

I hate to say it, but I dont think you are ever going to see a male actor in leading role without an oiled up six pack MMA lookin dude except if its Robert Deniro or Al Pacino.

These things come and go. In the 80s that was pretty much all we had. And those movies were great but people got a bit tired of the cartoonish style and wanted characters who felt more grounded. And Craig’s Bond felt like a reaction to stuff like Brosnan. I am not saying they should make Bond rail thin, but a Bond who is more svelte and sophisticated than Craig could easily work

 

[TiQuinn]

I hate to say it, but I dont think you are ever going to see a male actor in leading role without an oiled up six pack MMA lookin dude except if its Robert Deniro or Al Pacino.

Yep. When Chris Pratt and Paul Rudd got ripped for what amounts to a 3 second shot in their respective MCU movies that existed for no other reason than to show them with the shirt off, a new norm was set. Show up buff or don’t show up.

 

[payn]

Yep. When Chris Pratt and Paul Rudd got ripped for what amounts to a 3 second shot in their respective MCU movies that existed for no other reason than to show them with the shirt off, a new norm was set. Show up buff or don’t show up.

Im surprised how often the shirtless abs dude shot comes up now in every series and movie. Doesnt matter if its action, or sci-fi, drama, etc..