The search for the next James Bond continues, but one veteran of the franchise hasn’t completely closed the door on a potential comeback.
Pierce Brosnan, who brought the legendary spy to life in four films during the 1990s and early 2000s, recently expressed interest in potentially returning to the role under the right circumstances. Speaking with Radio Times, the 72-year-old actor addressed speculation about a possible comeback when asked about the prospect of “a senior citizen 007.”
“My wife Keely and I have been following all the speculation about who will be the next Bond,” Brosnan explained. “There are some excellent candidates being considered, and I’m confident they’ll create something spectacular.”
However, the Irish-born actor admitted he’d be willing to explore a return if incoming director Denis Villeneuve presented an intriguing concept. “I doubt audiences want to see a weathered 72-year-old Bond, but if Villeneuve had an interesting angle, I’d certainly listen,” he said. “It could be entertaining – perhaps involving makeup, prosthetics, who can say?”
Brosnan’s tenure as Bond spanned from 1995’s “GoldenEye” through 2002’s “Die Another Day,” including “Tomorrow Never Dies” and “The World Is Not Enough.”
In a separate interview with SAGA magazine, Brosnan expressed enthusiasm for the franchise’s future. “I’m eager to see who steps into the role next and what fresh energy they’ll bring to the character,” he said. “Bond has been wonderful to me – it truly is the gift that keeps giving. Now I’m just an audience member, curious to see what comes next.”
The 007 role has remained unfilled since Daniel Craig concluded his 15-year run with 2021’s “No Time to Die.” Craig, who debuted as Bond in 2006’s “Casino Royale,” reportedly earned around $100 million across his five films in the franchise.
Current speculation centers on Aaron Taylor-Johnson as the leading candidate to succeed Craig. The actor has remained diplomatically noncommittal about the rumors, telling Esquire magazine, “That’s not really something I can comment on.”
If selected, the new Bond will work with screenwriter Steven Knight, who was officially announced in July as the writer for the upcoming film. Knight, creator of the acclaimed BBC series “Peaky Blinders,” described writing a Bond script as a longtime career aspiration.
The project is currently in development under the direction of “Dune” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, with Amazon MGM Studios supervising production following Barbara Broccoli’s decision to step back from her traditional creative oversight role. Amy Pascal and David Heyman are attached as producers through Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films, with Tanya Lapointe serving as executive producer.
