As Daniel Craig's tenure as the British spy has come to an end, six different actors have now led the James Bond franchise, which has led to tons of speculation over how old 007 really is. Trying to determine the number isn't made easier because his age is barely ever mentioned, and all the actor's ages are drastically different. Craig's five Bond movies are the only group of films that are serialized, and the character getting older is intrinsically tied to the plot, but the previous iterations of 007 are much less bothered about the continuity of the spy's age.
With the possibility that Tom Holland could play 007 in Bond 26, the casting would make for an even more significant change to Bond's age given that the actor is so young. It's well-documented how much the studio stresses over casting James Bond, so further muddying the waters of 007's age would be a bold move. Between breaking down the age of the series' actors, the spy's age in Ian Fleming's original novels, and the brief moments his date of birth is alluded to throughout the films, there is an answer to how old James Bond is supposed to be, even if it is vague.
The Age Of Every James Bond Actor
The average age of every actor in their first Bond movie is 38, but the James Bond actors' ages vary drastically. Sean Connery was between 32 and 41, Roger Moore between 45 and 57, Timothy Dalton 41 and 43, and Pierce Brosnan 42 and 49. Most recently, Craig was 38 upon being cast, and retired in explosive fashion at 53. But the biggest outlier is George Lazenby, who was just 30 years old for his one 007 film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Moore's older age when he took on Bond might hint at some kind of continuity following Connery's films, but in reality, there's no evidence that gives credence to that.
James Bond's Age In Ian Fleming's Novels
While the movie franchise is iconic and has grossed billions of dollars, it's based on the popular spy novels written by Ian Fleming. The movies often change from the original novels, with the biggest culprit being Casino Royale cutting the 007 book's darkest moment. But the films and the books are similar in that they aren't interested in detailing how old James Bond is. However, the Moonraker novel drops one major hint, as the spy states that he's eight years away from retirement age of the 00 division, which is 45. That means Bond is 37 and it puts him in his mid-late 30s in the novels.
James Bond's Age In The Movies
Not mentioning Bond's age in the movies is a smart move, as it sidesteps giant continuity errors. But the age of Craig's 007 is revealed a couple of times. James Bond's date of birth was given on Spectre, as a blink-and-miss-it guardianship file changes Bond's D.O.B. to April 12, 1971. But while Bond's aging was imperative to Craig's stretch of movies, it's assumed in the 20 other films that the spy is a similar age to the actor playing him.
Could James Bond's Age Change And Does It Matter?
A younger iteration of the character could lead to a more exciting and fun version of 007, not to mention that it'd be refreshing after several depictions of the spy in his late 40s/early 50s. And a younger actor taking on the role could mean that James Bond might finally get an origin story. However, between getting rebooted every 10-20 years and the movies rarely conforming to continuity, James Bond's age ultimately doesn't matter. And 007's age has never corresponded with the kind of tone the movies have, as Moore's tenure as the character proved that James Bond movies featuring a 50-year-old spy can be goofy and dramatic.
