It has been nearly four years since the last James Bond film, with 2021's No Time to Die, the final outing for Daniel Craig as 007. The long search for a new James Bond commenced, but there were never any updates. As it turned out, this is because Barbara Broccoli, the daughter of original franchise producer Albert R. Broccoli, wasn't happy with Amazon, which now owned MGM. Sadly, the news came last week that Broccoli, along with her brother, Michael G. Wilson, had given up control of the franchise to Amazon. That understandably upset many. Will James Bond movies now be dumbed down? Will the IP be splintered off into countless spinoff series, like Disney has done with Star Wars? There's good reason to be worried, but there's also a reason to be hopeful as well.

Seeing the James Bond franchise owned by any major corporation is a downer. It felt special to see something as big as 007 still having this small, independent feel because it was family-owned. However, if a big studio has to now be in control, Amazon is a good choice. If you strip away the Amazon name and negative feelings you might have about Jeff Bezos and look at it from a neutral perspective, Amazon has been the home of many quality films over the years.

Amazon Studios is not a new company—they've been around for a decade now and have distributed a plethora of solid movies and TV series. Sure, just like any studio, some of their offerings aren't good (we're looking at Red One), but they have also been behind many critically acclaimed creations. In 2016, they co-distributed Manchester By the Sea, which went on to win two Academy Awards. In the last few years they've done everything, from popular comedy sequels like Coming 2 America, horror reboots like Suspiria and Goodnight Mommy, and important documentaries such as Flight/Risk, which details what happened after two Boeing 737 MAX planes crashed a few years ago. In 2024 alone, they distributed, either as Amazon or the MGM label, Road House, Ricky Stanicky, Challengers, Blink Twice, and My Old Ass. You have everything, from fun action reboots to silly comedies and thrillers on that list. Not all of those films worked, but Amazon hasn't pigeonholed themselves into making dull movies for the masses.

It is worrisome that Amazon is run by a multi-billionaire white guy who now cozies up with Donald Trump, but Amazon's selections have still been diverse. The very first thing Amazon ever put out was Spike Lee's Chi-Raq. They have also distributed documentaries like I Am Not Your Negro, A Man Named Scott (about the life of Kid Cudi), and Mayor Pete (about openly gay Democrat Pete Buttigieg). Until recently, one of the biggest complaints about James Bond was that it was way too white-centric—this has changed in the last several years. No Time to Die had a much more diverse cast, including Rami Malek as the villain, Lashana Lynch as the new 007, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. There's no reason to think that Amazon will change this approach.

Maybe the biggest worry of all for fans is that James Bond is going to be bled dry by countless spinoff series. That's certainly what has happened with Star Wars. But even there, cautious optimism should be the path forward. Amazon is the home of celebrated and popular shows like The Boys, Reacher, and Fallout. Imagine a Spectre or Moneypenny spinoff with that kind of artistry put behind them. If Amazon limits itself to just one or two shows, that may work, but if every supporting character gets a show, then James Bond will certainly lose how special it feels, no matter how good they are.

For years, there have been article after article dreamcasting the next James Bond—even Jeff Bezos has already been on Instagram, asking fans who should be the new 007. It was a hard choice for Barbara Broccoli, but Amazon will be tasked with finding someone fast. It turns out they might already be working with him, as Henry Cavill's name has always been at the top of the list. 2024's The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare was distributed by Amazon MGM overseas, and now Cavill is developing the series Warhammer 40,000 with them. That relationship will surely make him the front-runner, not just with fans, but Amazon too. It's heartbreaking to see Barbara Brocolli and Michael G. Wilson lose control of James Bond, but don't give up just yet. Just because Amazon now owns the franchise doesn't mean that 007 as we know him is dead.