All we know so far about the next iteration of cinema’s most famous secret agent is that the James Bond franchise is being rebooted from the ground up, with the explosive ending of No Time to Die making it perfectly clear that anything associated with the Daniel Craig era can no longer be viewed as canon to be picked up and carried on.
A younger actor will be inheriting both the mantle and tux of 007 – with the producers hinting that they’re on the lookout for someone capable of representing the brand for the next 10-15 years – but it’s going to be a long time before any concrete updates are forthcoming.
With that in mind, as well as the regularly-dubious nature of the source, a rumor from The Daily Mail claiming that No Time to Die co-writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge was in early talks as the “front-runner” to direct the 26th installment in the long-running espionage saga should be taken with a hefty helping of salt.
Despite being brought in at Craig’s request, Waller-Bridge admitted that her plans to re-incorporate the campier elements of the Bond mythos were largely shot down, while her entire directorial resume at this stage extends to the music video for Phoebe Bridger’s “Savior Complex” and… well, and that’s it.
Handing an untested and unproven rookie the reigns on what’s shaping up to be the most pivotal reinvention James Bond has faced in decades would be a hell of a risk, but one we’re not entirely convinced Eon would even consider given all that’s at stake.
