As the discourse heats up around who will and should be the next James Bond, the last actor to surrender the title to a fresh face is sharing his thoughts over just what’s missing from the spy franchise’s recent installments.
Pierce Brosnan’s 4-film run in the role, from 1995’s Goldeneye to 2002’s Die Another Day, isn’t the most fondly remembered era for the series, with the latter often being singled out as a jump-the-shark moment for the property, necessitating the gritty makeover of 2006’s Casino Royale. In a recent interview with The Rake, the Mamma Mia! star reflected on this notable tonal shift between his last Bond outing and Daniel Craig’s debut, saying:
“I knew there had been a seismic shift, and little did I know I was going to be part of that in the curtain falling on my contract. I knew they had to make adjustments. They had strong competition and they haven’t reinvented it, but given it a much more muscular, dynamic twist.”
While many embraced the new direction as a refreshing change of pace after the gadget-enhanced silliness of the Brosnan years, the actor still asserts that something might have been lost in the transition.
“When I played [Bond], you have to let the audience in that this is a fantastic joke. What I am doing here, jumping off a motorcycle and catching up a plane, is completely preposterous.”
Whether or not you prefer the more ‘serious’ approach of the Daniel Craig years, there’s no denying that a semi-jokey tone was a fundamental part of the 007 identity for several decades, with the franchise long being synonymous with cheesy one-liners, over-the-top villains and ridiculous character names.
Nonetheless, anticipation runs high for Daniel Craig’s presumed swan song as James Bond, which is expected to arrive in cinemas on November 8th, 2019, at which point, the lane will be clear for another reboot.
