With the current titleholder of Bond 26, the production for the next entry in the 007 franchise has had its fair share of problems. While the SAG-AFTRA strike is one of the key reasons why the production is going to see a long period between Bond movies, the production has also struggled to find a director and cast to bring the secret agent back to the screen. It has been frustrating for fans and likely a headache for EON Productions, which has overseen every entry in the franchise; it is not even known which book the movie is going to be based on, though most believe Forever and a Day by Anthony Horowitz will be the top choice.
Some revelations are slowly being made about the cast and director, including EON Productions discussing short-listed directors to helm the film, but in a recent revelation from actor Ben Whishaw by Deadline, fans can likely expect quite a mix-up with the upcoming cast.
Ben Whishaw Does Not Think He Is Returning to Bond and Is Okay With It
Ben Whishaw stepped into the shoes of the Q, head of the Q Division, which supplies tech and gadgets for M16’s best. Whishaw has appeared in three James Bond films alongside Daniel Craig. Many fans appreciated the actor’s modern take on Q, with a more ‘computer genius’ approach focused on cyber threats rather than traditional gadgetry. The dynamic between Daniel Craig and Ben Whishaw also resonated with viewers, though some missed the more banter-heavy relationship between Bond and Q in past entries. Still, it is fair to say that fans would like to see some familiar faces, and even with Craig exiting, maybe they would still see Whishaw return as Q. Well, the actor recently put that idea to rest.
“I don’t think I’m going to be in the next one, I think they’re going to start all over again, and with a new cast, a completely new cast. I think that’s my hunch, but I don’t know. I have no idea.”
Whishaw also stated he would still return to the role if asked but is okay with seeing it go in a new direction; “I think it might need a new lease of life and a whole new group of people.” Of course, there is a lot up in the air with the future of Bond, and it’s promising to hear that Ben would return to the role if asked to give fans some semblance of what the latest iteration of 007 will look like.
It may still take a while before fans get all the details for Bond 26, as many predict that with the movie not even in production, a more likely timeline for release is now 2027, if not 2028. In addition, producer Barbara Broccoli has been vocal about wanting to change Bond. Fans have been guaranteed a reinvention of the character. What this means is unclear, as although she has stated that the movie may be “more light-hearted again,” she has also hinted that the franchise may focus heavily on covering current global affairs. It sounds like there is a lot of uncertainty about what Bond will look like in the next film, but it seems that a fresh cast will be an inevitability. The most recent film in the franchise, No Time to Die, is available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.
