Highlights
- The next James Bond will be a fresh face, not a familiar character from the past, according to producer Barbara Broccoli.
- Broccoli firmly opposes using AI to digitally resurrect deceased actors, calling it disrespectful to their legacies.
- While the next Bond actor remains unknown, Broccoli hints that they will likely have acting experience and range, but doesn’t rule out a non-star.
The next James Bond movie has fans buzzing with excitement as they await the revelation of the next 007, who will carry on the legendary mantle. With speculation running wild about the franchise’s successor, one thing is certain: the upcoming 007 won’t be a familiar face from Bond’s storied past.
Unveiling the next James Bond has become a global fascination since Daniel Craig bid farewell to the iconic 007 role in the 2021 blockbuster No Time to Die. While fans eagerly await the next actor set to inherit 007’s license to kill, the producer behind the beloved franchise, Barbara Broccoli, assured fans that the upcoming Bond will be a fresh face, eliminating the possibility of reprisals from previously portrayed characters, particularly those who have since departed from the mortal realm.
In a firm stance, Broccoli firmly opposes using artificial intelligence to posthumously bring back actors and replicate the memorable performances of legendary James Bond actors such as the late Roger Moore and Sean Connery. Emphasizing their significant contributions to the franchise, she notes that digitally resurrecting these actors for new roles would disrespect their legacies. Speaking to Yahoo Entertainment, she says, “I think that those actors made such enormous contributions to the films, I would not want to disrespect them by having them do things that they did not create.”
As expected, Broccoli remains tight-lipped on any potential torchbearer for the iconic James Bond role. Speculated candidates like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Hardy, and Regé-Jean Page are in the mix, but no official updates are provided. Broccoli subtly hints that the next James Bond won’t be an untested newcomer to the screen, emphasizing the importance of experience in the iconic role. “We’re totally open to casting a non-star,” Broccoli observes. “But acting is a very specialized profession, and if somebody has to carry a movie and have the range of requirements in terms of physicality, it’s not going to be someone who has never done it before. It would be sort of irresponsible to do that. But we’d certainly be open to a non-star.”
Regarding AI, Broccoli isn’t the only one who believes using the technology to bring back deceased performers is disrespectful. The debate over using AI to bring back actors posthumously extends beyond the Bond universe, sparking ethical discussions and diverse opinions in the entertainment industry. This controversial practice has faced mixed reactions in parallel realms, highlighting the challenge of balancing technological capabilities with artistic integrity.
While some actors like Donald Glover embrace AI, others don’t. Notably, the recent SAG-AFTRA strike prominently featured AI concerns, with actors such as Nicolas Cage condemning its use as “inhumane.” Cage (who was featured in The Flash) criticized the film’s use of AI to incorporate posthumous cameos by past Supermen George Reeves and Christopher Reeve. Fortunately, James Bond will spared from this treatment.
Source: Yahoo Entertainment
