Summary

• Eon needs to find a new creative angle and actor for James Bond 26 to keep the franchise feeling fresh.
• Martin Campbell, who directed the first movies for the last three Bond actors, is a frontrunner for the job.
• Campbell successfully reinvented the franchise with GoldenEye and Casino Royale, making him a logical choice for Bond 26.

Martin Campbell is reportedly under consideration for the job of directing James Bond 26, and if he gets the gig, it would be the third Bond reboot in a row he’s directed. Ever since Daniel Craig’s tenure as 007 came to an end with a surprising degree of finality in No Time to Die, Eon has been trying to figure out where to take the franchise next. Not only do they need a new actor to play Bond; they need to find a new creative angle to keep the series feeling fresh.

Eon has reportedly narrowed down the search to a shortlist of potential Bond 26 directors. These filmmakers are being brought in for “a first round of speed dates” to see if they’re a good professional fit for what Eon wants to do with the reboot. The list includes ‘71’s Yann Demange, The Imposter’s Bart Layton, Animal Kingdom’s David Michôd, Venom: The Last Dance’s Kelly Marcel, and All Quiet on the Western Front’s Edward Berger. But it also includes Campbell, Eon’s lucky charm from the last two Bond reboots.

Martin Campbell Directing Bond 26 Would Mean He Directed The First Movie For The Last 3 James Bonds

Campbell previously helmed GoldenEye and Casino Royale

If Campbell directs Bond 26 and introduces audiences to the next 007 actor, then it’ll be the third time in a row he’s done so. In 1995, Campbell introduced the world to Pierce Brosnan’s Bond in GoldenEye, and in 2006, he introduced the world to Daniel Craig’s Bond in Casino Royale. In both cases, the franchise was at a serious low point and in need of a radical fresh take to get things back on track, and in both cases, Campbell provided that fresh take.

After Timothy Dalton’s darker Bond movies, Eon needed the next movie to bring back the series’ mainstream appeal, and Campbell nailed it with the explosive blockbuster action of GoldenEye. After Brosnan’s shamelessly goofy final outing, Die Another Day, Eon needed the next movie to get audiences to take the franchise seriously again. Campbell nailed that, too, with the gritty realism of Casino Royale.

Why Martin Campbell Directing Bond 26 Would Make Sense

Campbell has already done this job successfully twice before

While it might sound more exciting to bring in a new filmmaker with a new vision for the franchise, hiring Campbell for the next Bond movie would make a lot of sense. There’s more riding on James Bond 26 than the average Bond movie, because it has to completely reinvent the franchise. Campbell is familiar with the franchise and has a history of successfully reinventing it for a new actor’s sensibility. So, it's understandable that Eon would want him back.