Past, Present & Future Bond: What Can We Expect?

Past, Present & Future Bond: What Can We Expect?

Of all the franchises in the world, few are more difficult to cast predictions on than James Bond. There’s so much happening behind the scenes that unless something is actually proven with evidence by the real British government, we don’t believe anything fully. Even to this day, there are new pieces of information being released about movies that have already been released. For instance, did you know that Hugh Jackman was offered the role of James Bond before Daniel Craig eventually took up the mantel?

The New Bond Movie’s Not Going To Star Hugh Jackman, But It Could Have

During a December 2017 interview with Variety, Jackman states that he was about to start working on X-Men 2 when his agent asked if he’d be interested in being the new Bond. “I just felt at the time that the scripts had become so unbelievable and crazy, and I felt like they needed to become grittier and real,” Jackman explains.

This isn’t surprising, especially since even Pierce Brosnan has reluctantly admitted that certain elements of his Bond movies such as the invisible car were borderline ridiculous. However, it wasn’t just the script that deterred Jackman – it was the time commitments that come with playing a huge part in not one but two massive franchises. Not only would that be incredibly exhausting, but it would also rule out Jackman’s ability to explore other areas and could have led to him being pigeon-holed as typical ‘male hero character’.

“I was also worried that between Bond and X-Men, I’d never have time to do different things,” he says. “I always tried to do different things.” Jackman admits that at one point, between the release of X-Men 3 and pre-production on the first Wolverine movie, he did realize that he was playing the exact same role repeatedly. However, since he didn’t accept the Bond role he was eventually able to break free and commit his time to other films such as The Prestige, Les Misérables and The Greatest Showman.

That’s Nice, But What About The New Movie?

So, is there anything we know for an absolute fact about the upcoming Bond movie that isn’t Hugh Jackman related? Well, we know that it will be released on November 8. 2019 in the United States and it will be the 25thmovie in the franchise, which makes it even more special than a regular Bond release would be. It also explains why the movie’s title is already confirmed to be Bond 25.

As for who will be directing the film, we can’t be absolutely sure, but it is confirmed that Danny Boyle is working on the script, written by Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, and so could very well be directing. While speaking to Metro US, Boyle stated that he is involved with Bond 25 alongside Richard Curtis, saying: “We are working on a script right now and it all depends on that really.” We love that confidence.

It’s rumoured that the script is heavily based on the 1999 novel Never Dream of Dying, written by Raymond Benson. However, there are also reports of a significant plot leak that could be just as true. The SPOILER-filled plot leak claims that Bond will quit the secret service and get married before his wife is inevitably killed and Bond is forced to go on a Taken-esque jaunt. If this is the case, we should be mentally prepared to deal with the gritty Bond Daniel Craig has brought to life over the past few movies. Yay…

Should Bond 25 Be Gritty & Sad?

Now, we can’t be the only ones that would prefer a little more fun in our James Bond movies, right? Sure, we’ve got Hugh Jackman’s ideal Bond right now but this is Bond 25 we’re talking about; surely it should contain different elements of Bond’s legacy, not just the soul-destroying yet suave Bond we’ve come to know over the last few movies.

Will the madness that was the Brosnan era be forgotten completely? What about the hijinks of Roger Moore or the comedy of Sean Connery? The Bond series is known and beloved for so much more than the last couple of movies and their overly serious tones. We don’t want the new release to be goofy or completely tone-deaf, but we’d love for Bond 25 to hint back to scenes and staples of the Bond franchise that more recent movies have neglected. For instance, as Betway states, casino scenes are a staple of older Bond movies and are some of the best in the history of cinema that absolutely should not be forgotten. We’d love to see a casino scene in the new release, even if it isn’t a large part of the plot.

Could Idris Elba Be The Next Bond, James Bond?

There is still hope for our dreams of a happier Bond coming true on the horizon though, even if Bond 25 sticks with the serious stick. It was confirmed in August 2017 that Daniel Craig would return one last time to play Bond, despite some interviews where he seemed, err, less than fond of playing the character. However, it will be his last time as 007.

As a new era of James Bond begins, it could mean an entirely fresh new tone will be introduced as well. This could still be the case even if Idris Elba, who is rumoured to be replacing Craig, does take the role. Yes, Elba is known to play more serious characters but even Luther had some comedic aspects and the man did a song with Macklemore. Elba has also played a role in the Marvel universe, which is renowned for its impeccable comedy, and so he could head the franchise’s subtle transition into a lighter tone. Better still, Hugh Jackman himself could possibly play James Bond if we badger him to do it enough, please?

Of course, this is just one of the articles where all we can do is guess and then wait for the present to catch up with the future. Only then we will know if anything we’ve written is right, wrong, good or awful. While we wait for that to happen, why not leave your thoughts below, let us know what you think about the James Bond franchise, the upcoming movie, who will be the unfortunate artist to sing the theme song and the future of the series.

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