With Daniel Craig saying that he is done playing iconic spy James Bond, the net has filled with speculation over who will be the next to portray 007 on the big screen.
Names ranging from Idris Elba to Tom Hiddleston have emerged as fans the world over eagerly await the announcement.
To me what has been lost in all of this debate is the direction that the character will take as each actor to play the character has put their own spin on the character. Sean Connery set the standard with his cold, deadly, and efficient Bond, while Roger Moore added camp to the mix as his one-liners became an iconic part of his portrayal.
George Lazenby was solid but never seemed comfortable and with only one film to judge him by, it is difficult to really see what he would have done had he opted to play the part in additional films.
Timothy Dalton gave us a less promiscuous Bond who was conflicted by his sense of duty and loathing for some of the things his character is required to do in the line of duty.
Which brings us to Pierce Brosnan, who in my opinion gave us the best Bond since Connery as he seemed to capture the tone of the Cold War character yet kept him modern and relatable to audience. His portrayal showed the pain of the life he could have had, choices he has made, as well as the fact that by many in his agency he is seen as a relic of an outdated time, yet needed for the impossible missions that nobody else could hope to complete.
To me this is where the next James Bond should look to continue from. I know it is necessary to suspend a bit of the clock when dealing with this character as a spy in his 80s makes it a hard sell as an action film, but I found Craig to brutish at times in his portrayal as thee suave sophistication of the character was replaced with a blunt instrument of destruction.
For me I think that Bond needs to have an ongoing villain. Blofeld was always a threat behind the scenes and the array of henchmen he deployed was always a fun part of the film series.
My thought is what if Bond had a son he did not know about from his numerous flings. The son grew up hearing about his father the great 007, and how he would come back to her one day as he promised. So Bond never returned, she dies a lonely and forgotten woman, and the Son embarks on a quest for revenge.
What follows is a cat and mouse game that no matter how hard he tries; this mysterious enemy is always just one step ahead of him and seems to take great pleasure in taunting him each step of the way.
Naturally the Bond elements of action, woman, and exotic locales, drinking and gambling would be included such as can be seen at TV and Specials Betting with William Hill, where Jack Huston seems to be the odds favourite.
I think moving forward the character has great potential still, and that we have plenty of great adventures ahead regardless of who assumes the role next.
