Both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan have been rumored to reprise the role of gap between movies in the James Bond franchise, and there is no sign of a new 007 casting anywhere in sight.
Moreover, longtime franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson lost creative control of the series in March 2025, meaning Amazon MGM Studios will now decide the future of the franchise. While this does mean James Bond 26’s new 007 actor could be a surprising new face, it has also led some commentators to revisit ideas that were previously considered too outlandish for the next installment of the series. With its core creatives restructured, there is no telling where the franchise will go next, meaning viewers might get the older 007 movie that has been rumored for years.
After Playing A Lighter 007, Pierce Brosnan Would Be More Interesting As An Older, Grizzled James Bond
Brosnan’s Bond Was A Playful, Self-Aware Take On 007
Both Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan could return to the franchise to play an older version of James Bond, although this arguably fits one of the actors better than the other. Dalton is 79, while Brosnan is 71. As such, they would both be significantly older than the oldest existing screen incarnation of Bond from the movies in the official EON series. Roger Moore was 57 when he played Bond for the last time. While this record has never been challenged, it was recently met by Daniel Craig’s final time playing Bond at 51 years old.
James Bond Actors |
|
|---|---|
Actor |
Tenure |
Sean Connery |
1962 – 1967, 1971, 1983 |
George Lazenby |
1969 |
Roger Moore |
1973 – 1985 |
Timothy Dalton |
1987 – 1989 |
Pierce Brosnan |
1995 – 2002 |
Daniel Craig |
2006 – 2021 |
By 's twist ending, it was clear that the series was heading somewhere new and exciting. Craig’s version of 007 was the first to canonically die, meaning the series has all but officially confirmed that James Bond is a codename ed down from one agent to another. Within this context, it would make sense for either Brosnan or Dalton to return to the role of 007 with the next movie in the series revealing that they were called out of retirement and asked to take on the mantle once again.
Brosnan’s Bond was a flip, ironic, and altogether more light-hearted take on 007 than Craig’s Bond, so it would be interesting to see him play a grizzled, older version of the same super spy.
This self-referential twist would be tough to pull off, especially after the grounded tone of Craig's movies and the elegiac feel of No Time To Die's ending. Although Brosnan dismissed the older Bond idea in a GQ profile, his version of the character would ironically be more suited to this return than Dalton's 007. After all, Brosnan’s Bond was a flip, ironic, and altogether more light-hearted take on 007 than Craig’s Bond, so it would be interesting to see him play a grizzled, older version of the same super spy.
Timothy Dalton’s Late Career Comedy Turn Is Well Timed For The James Bond Franchise
The Screen Veteran Has Focused On Big-Screen Comedy In Recent Decades
Throughout the 60s and 70s, Clint Eastwood became a global superstar by playing trigger-happy gunslingers who were as ineffably cool as they were utterly amoral. The star then flipped this screen persona on its head with Unforgiven, where an older Eastwood played a taciturn outlaw whose killings weren't remotely glamorous or slick. Eastwood deconstructed the quipping killer image that defined his early career and Brosnan could do the same by playing a darker, sadder version of his James Bond, one who is scarred by his years of killing and unsure of his legacy.
Movie |
Release Year |
Bond Actor |
|---|---|---|
Dr. No |
1962 |
Sean Connery |
From Russia With Love |
1963 |
Sean Connery |
Goldfinger |
1964 |
Sean Connery |
Thunderball |
1965 |
Sean Connery |
You Only Live Twice |
1967 |
Sean Connery |
Casino Royale (Non-Eon) |
1967 |
David Niven |
On Her Majesty's Secret Service |
1969 |
George Lazenby |
Diamonds Are Forever |
1971 |
Sean Connery |
Live and Let Die |
1973 |
Roger Moore |
The Man with the Golden Gun |
1974 |
Roger Moore |
The Spy Who Loved Me |
1977 |
Roger Moore |
Moonraker |
1979 |
Roger Moore |
For Your Eyes Only |
1981 |
Roger Moore |
Octopussy |
1983 |
Roger Moore |
Never Say Never Again (Non-Eon) |
1983 |
Sean Connery |
A View To A Kill |
1985 |
Roger Moore |
The Living Daylights |
1987 |
Timothy Dalton |
Licence to Kill |
1985 |
Roger Moore |
GoldenEye |
1995 |
Pierce Brosnan |
Tomorrow Never Dies |
1997 |
Pierce Brosnan |
The World Is Not Enough |
1999 |
Pierce Brosnan |
Die Another Day |
2002 |
Pierce Brosnan |
Casino Royale |
2006 |
Daniel Craig |
Quantum Of Solace |
2008 |
Daniel Craig |
Skyfall |
2012 |
Daniel Craig |
Spectre |
2015 |
Daniel Craig |
No Time To Die |
2021 |
Daniel Craig |
However, Brosnan’s tortured older James Bond could be the wrong route for the series since the later Craig movies have already earned criticism for taking themselves too seriously. As such, an outright comedic older 007 movie starring Timothy Dalton could be a better idea. Dalton's Bond movies were seriously dark, but later comedic roles in Hot Fuzz, the Toy Story sequels, and the underrated Looney Tunes: Back in Action (where he parodied his role as Bond) prove Dalton has impeccable comedic timing. As such, a zany older 007 movie that spoofs the iconic spy's aging could fit him.
Brosnan’s Bond Return Would Make More Tonal Sense Than Dalton’s Comeback
Dalton’s Return Could Necessitate A Revival Of The Dour ‘80s Bond Aesthetic
That being said, it would be hard to justify Dalton's sillier take on the character precisely because of how dark his original James Bond movies were. Dalton’s movies were among the darkest in the entire James Bond franchise as the ‘80s hits were forced to compete with violent R-rated action movies like Lethal Weapon and Die Hard at the box office. As such, seeing the star play a wacky version of 007 could be disastrous tonal whiplash after Dalton’s dark James Bond movies.
In the age of Jason Bourne and Batman Begins, Brosnan’s winking charmer felt outdated and Craig's brooding bruiser was an ideal change of pace.
In this regard, Brosnan’s Bond comeback would fit the tone of the series better. After the suffocating self-seriousness of the Craig movies, the next James Bond outing desperately needs to recapture the franchise’s sense of humor. Craig's first Bond outing, 2006’s Casino Royale, impressed critics and fans alike with its bold reinvention of the super-spy. In the age of Jason Bourne and Batman Begins, Brosnan’s winking charmer felt outdated and Craig's brooding bruiser was an ideal change of pace.
Brosnan’s Recent Screen Roles Fit An Older James Bond Return
Black Bag and Fast Charlie Prove Brosnan Remains A Presence In Spy Cinema
However, by the time No Time To Die came out, it had been five years since the Bourne franchise's last reboot, and almost a decade since Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy ended. Viewers were done with self-serious, gritty blockbusters and had begun gravitating toward lighter, more self-aware fare like the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Thus, the next Bond needs to be able to laugh at himself, which means Brosnan's return would make the most logical sense.
10 Highest-Grossing James Bond Movies (Adjusted For Inflation)
James Bond is among the biggest franchises in movie history, boasting 27 films and billions in box office takings. But which Bond movie made the most?
Dalton’s comedy roles prove he has plenty of potential as a comic performer, but there is no way for the series to explain why his version of 007 went from the franchise's darkest iteration of the character to a funnier, sillier take on Bond. In contrast, Brosnan’s Bond always had an element of obvious self-parody, and recent roles in Black Bag, Fast Charlie, and even The Out-laws prove Brosnan can still play charming antiheroes in crime thrillers. As such, if the next James Bond movie does end up bringing back an existing 007 actor, it should be Pierce Brosnan rather than Timothy Dalton.
Source: GQ
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