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James Bond has been an icon since the 1960s, when his form was taken from books into film. Since then there have been 25 007 films, though the last movie has not yet been seen thanks to coronavirus delays. But after No Time to Die finally hits cinemas, will there be another movie?
James Bond has regenerated into a number of different actors over the years.
He started out being played by Sean Connery, before the role was taken on by George Lazenby, who handed it back to Sean not long after.
From there, Roger Moore was in the Bond chair, until it was handed over to Timothy Dalton for two films.
The role was taken over by Pierce Brosnan after this, until Daniel Craig became the sixth and incumbent James Bond.
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However, fans have been speculating as to who will become the seventh Bond for some time, and the answer is one which has not been forthcoming from producers.
One expert, Dr Ian Kinane, has asked an even bigger question: will there even be another Bond movie after No Time to Die?
Speaking about Bond, Dr Kinane spoke of what the franchise’s main character has become, and how, in the current political and cultural, he may no longer have a place.
Dr Kinane said, speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk: “Bond is not on the right side of history at the moment, at what I would consider to be the right side of history… Bond is precisely white, male, heterosexual, normative, entitled… so does Bond really have a place in this culture nowadays?
“If we are saying that everything we love about Bond and 007 – the spying, the action, the guns – if that can be carried out by Lashana Lynch’s character in No Time to Die, what is left for Bond? Who is Bond?
“I think that’s one of the reasons why Daniel Craig films have tended to veer towards the personalisation and all of the vendettas.
“So Casino Royale was all about the loss of his first love, Quantum of Solace is all about the revenge for the loss of his first love.
“The man is one thing, and the icon of 007 is another. The last few films have been about the man and an advocate of the burdensome nature of emotions as a backstory.
“All of this kind of thing, it strikes me, is that we moved away from before because of the grander cultural claims of what Bond might be.
“Now we’re talking about a hard-drinking womanising, misogynistic, depressive alcoholic and as a picture of a man, that’s not particularly endearing when it is for national pride.”
Previously, the national pride which came with Bond was made clear in his inclusion in the 2012 Olympics, as Dr Kinane mentioned as well.
He said: “When James Bond jumps out of the helicopter at the beginning of the 2012 Olympics, with The Queen in tow, you have there a moment of huge national pride, sensational nationalism at a time of pre-Brexit, pre-Windrush scandal.
“All the issues that have come up or have been part of political discourse in the UK for such a long time, and you have Bond there as someone who is very synonymous with Britain.”
Dr Kinane’s contention is, if Bond is supposed to represent something of the UK spirit, with changing cultural ideals it may be the Bond of the 1950s no longer belongs, which could raise the question of whether another film could even take place.
However, given the incredible profits he brings Eon, and the love fans have for him, it may be he keeps his place in the cinematic landscape.
No Time to Die will be in cinemas on April 2, 2021
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