The future of Bond could be in streaming services, but he’ll likely stay male

Over the past 60 years, James Bond has become such an iconic part of the movie world that it is tough to ever imagine the box office being without him for too long a stretch. While there are reasonably long gaps between the production of the different films (especially when the actor changes), you can normally rest assured that in a few years you will have the opportunity to see Bond ignite you cinema screen once more.

That may change in the future though. Not that Bond will be going anywhere and that they will stop making movies about the world ‘s favourite spy, but just rather that the people in charge might be willing to explore TV or streaming networks in the future. A response that was provided by producer Barbara Broccoli in a recent interview with Variety when asked the question about the growth of these services:

We make these films for the audiences. We like to think that they’re going to be seen primarily on the big screen. But having said that, we have to look to the future. Our fans are the ones who dictate how they want to consume their entertainment. I don’t think we can rule anything out, because it’s the audience that will make those decisions. Not us

So, I guess the decision is up to fans then. How exactly they will determine that I don’t know, though I think future box office receipts and streaming numbers will probably have a say in the matter. A big action spectacle is something that is often best viewed on the biggest screen possible, but with TVs and home sound systems only getting better, people can easily still get to experience these films in the way they were designed, in the comfort of their own home.

Given that the upcoming No Time to Die will be the last featuring Daniel Craig, the conversation also went into who could be the next Bond. And while names were obviously not thrown around, the discussion came around to whether now could be the time to try a different look for Bond entirely. People have clamoured for a Black Bond in the form of Idris Elba or indeed the opportunity to see Bond played a female at some point too. Though in the producer’s eyes, only one of those options as a possibility right now:

He can be of any colour, but he is male. I believe we should be creating new characters for women – strong female characters. I’m not particularly interested in taking a male character and having a woman play it. I think women are far more interesting than that.

So, a black Bond could be our future, but not a female one. It’s an answer which can easily be dismissed as sexist, but I actually like the way its been phrased here that we should rather focus on creating new roles for women rather than just giving them the same roles to take over.

Who would you like to see as the next Bond?

Last Updated: January 16, 2020