Should Pierce Brosnan Return as James Bond? Fans Seem to Think So
More than two decades after Pierce Brosnan last straightened his bow tie as 007, a new swell of public support suggests some believe he should do it all over again. A recent Yahoo poll of 1,498 respondents found that 60% were in favour of Brosnan reprising his role as an older, more world-weary Bond.
Brosnan’s tenure as Bond, spanning four films from GoldenEye to Die Another Day, ended abruptly when the producers decided to take the franchise in a grittier direction with Daniel Craig. But for Brosnan, the departure never quite sat right.
“After my four outings as James Bond, there seemed to be unfinished business in the way that the Bond finished in my life and the way that the demise of Bond, going off stage left into the night, seemed like there was a certain void there of… as I say, unfinished business,” he reflected a while back.
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And now, at 71, could he be convinced to return? Well, if a recent GQ interview is anything to go by, he’s not entirely ruling it out. “Of course, how could I not be interested?” he admitted. But, ever the diplomat, he quickly tempered expectations.
“It’s a delicate situation now. I think it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie, really. I think so. It’s a rather romantic notion and idea, but I think everything changes, everything falls apart. I think that it’s best left to another man, really. Fresh blood.”
Amazon MGM’s Next Move
With Amazon MGM now holding the keys to Bond’s Aston Martin, the question of what comes next looms large. An internal memo, as reported by The Daily Mail, appears to have laid out at least some ground rules: the next Bond will be “male and British – or from the Commonwealth.”
While that doesn’t necessarily rule Brosnan out, it does suggest that Amazon is looking to maintain the franchise’s core DNA. And yet, nostalgia remains a powerful currency in Hollywood.
Just this month, Aston Martin shared an Instagram post of Brosnan standing alongside a Vanquish—Bond’s ride of choice in Die Another Day—with the caption “Icons reunited.” A hint, a marketing ploy, or something more?
A Licence to Return?
For now, Pierce Brosnan is keeping busy in the espionage game. His next movie, Black Bag, sees him starring alongside another Bond candidate Rege-Jean Page and Miss Moneypenny actress Naomie Harris, hits UK cinemas on March 14.
As for Bond, the question remains: is there space in the franchise for a returning legend, or is Brosnan right when he says the role is best left to “fresh blood”? One thing is certain—if the calls for his return keep getting louder, Amazon MGM may have to consider whether their best move is forward, or ever so slightly backwards.
