The next movie in the franchise will come out eventually, but it's taking far longer than fans expected. The first movie in the spy franchise, which is based on Ian Flemming's series of novels, was released back in 1962. Since the release of Dr. No, six actors have played James Bond, not including David Niven's portrayal of 007 in the 1967 parody film Casino Royale. Since it is customary for actors to pass on the role to someone else eventually, it was not a surprise that 2021's No Time to Die was Daniel Craig's last time playing 007.

However, it is a surprise that the upcoming Bond 26 has been stuck in development for so long. Currently, it seems like No Time to Die and Bond 26 will have the longest gap between two James Bond movies. Previously, that distinction belonged to the six-year gap between 1989's License to Kill and 1995's GoldenEye. In the early 1990s, there was a lot of behind-the-scenes drama with the James Bond franchise, and history has seemed to repeat itself. Therefore,

In March 2022, . Throughout the franchise's history, MGM distributed all 25 James Bond movies and two unofficial films about the iconic spy. Since Amazon and MGM were in negotiations for a long time, well before the release of No Time to Die, it was expected that Bond 26 would be slightly delayed. After all, Amazon's purchase of the distributor was bound to cause some major shakeups.

Usually, the next James Bond movie would start being developed while one is in production. This is precisely why . However, since EON Productions was expecting shakeups behind the scenes as a result of Amazon and MGM's deal, it's obvious that there wasn't a clear plan for Bond 26 when No Time to Die was in production or when it was released.

In 2024, years after the acquisition of MGM, there were reports that longtime franchise producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were having creative differences with representatives from Amazon. Since , they were obviously very important to the success of the series. However, Broccoli and Wilson have both left the franchise and Amazon now has full creative control of James Bond.

This means that . Before the announcement that Broccoli and Wilson were leaving the franchise, they likely had plans in place for Bond 26. However, that no longer matters since Amazon can now decide what direction they want to take the franchise in. Since Amazon now has full creative control, progress will likely finally start being made on Bond 26, but it's clear that behind-the-scenes differences have already set the movie back years.

Before Craig took over as 007 in 2006's Casino Royale, all the James Bond movies were technically part of the same continuity. This could be somewhat confusing, since James Bond was played by multiple different actors, which is precisely why Casino Royale served as a sort of soft reboot for the franchise and started a new continuity. Compared to previous James Bond movies, .

This proved to be a much-needed change for the franchise, and led to all of Craig's James Bond movies being major commercial successes. In fact, Craig's five films are the five highest-grossing James Bond movies ever (via The Numbers). Additionally, most of Craig's James Bond films were major critical successes. Casino Royale, Skyfall, and No Time to Die, in particular, are often regarded as three of the best James Bond movies ever. Therefore, .

Obviously, the last five James Bond movies wouldn't have been nearly as successful if Craig wasn't an excellent 007. Arguably, Craig is the best James Bond actor ever, which will undoubtedly put a lot of pressure on the next person who plays the spy. Since Craig was so well-received in the role, .

As of now, it has not been announced who will play the next James Bond. However, fans have suggested many different options. According to GQ, . Reportedly, Amazon is looking for someone in their 30s who can play the character for at least a decade. This could rule out Cavill and even James, but there are plenty of young actors who fans think are greatly suited to playing James Bond. Overall, it's obvious that this is a tough decision for Amazon.

In addition to finding the perfect actor to play James Bond in a new era of the franchise, Amazon also needs to find a great director to helm Bond 26. since Broccoli and Wilson were both very involved producers. However, since the production of Bond 26 will likely be much different, the movie will need a talented director.

While it's still very early in the pre-production process, acclaimed director Alfonso Cuarón, who has helmed movies like Gravity and Children of Men, has been rumored for Bond 26. Additionally, it has also been rumored that Christopher Nolan may direct the project. Nolan is not only one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in the world, but also a well-known James Bond fan, so it would be great if Amazon managed to hire him. , which makes this an important decision for Amazon.

Finding a lead actor and director is important, but Bond 26 also needs to have a gripping story that will get fans invested in the new era of the franchise. Because of this, it's worth noting that . Practically none of the James Bond movies have been completely faithful adaptations of Flemming's novels, but most of them take inspiration from some of the author's work. For example, No Time to Die's story is inspired by the character arc 007 undergoes in the novel You Only Live Twice.

about the spy. Therefore, for years, it's been inevitable that the franchise is going to run out of source material eventually. This may be the case for Bond 26, which means that the writers of the film will have to come up with a wholly original story. This is obviously not impossible, but it could easily delay the production process of Bond 26.

Coming up with the story for Bond 26 will be even more difficult for Amazon and the writers since the film will likely set up many different spinoffs. Now that Amazon has full creative control of the franchise, it is expected that they will produce several James Bond spinoff projects, in addition to the mainline films. Therefore, .

If this is Amazon's plan, then the company has to focus on an overarching story for the entire James Bond franchise, rather than the story of just one movie. set in the same universe. This proves that truly is entering a brand-new era, and further explains why Bond 26 is taking so long.

Source: GQ