Will the MI6 Cast Return? | Judging the Likelihood of the Craig-era Actors Returning for Bond 26

[@mikeysorrentino8480]

I agree that Fiennes is the most likely candidate to reprise his respective role. I think it helped Casino Royale having Judi Dench return as a revision of the character to usher in a new Bond era.

[@spacemann1425]

Yeah Ralph Fiennes is brilliant as M

[@spencerkindra8822]

Having Judi Dench return as M in Casino Royale absolutely helped because it legitimized the Daniel Craig era immediately. And it proved that even with a hard reboot, the franchise will always maintain a link to Dr. No which is important.

[@NeverSaySandwich1]

He's a fantastic choice for M

[@CamPopplestone]

Fiennes did a good job of being antagonistic to Bond at times without being a villain, which is perfect

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

I feel like he could easily be the villain of another story in No Time To Die. He did some truly horrible and unforgivable things in the name of Britain's security, and Fiennes portrayed that perfectly. I would love to see him return because he toes that line perfectly.

[@julianmhall]

Fiennes delivered, I think, the funniest line in NTTD when he said to Bond 'Who's 'we'? Oh for ****'s sake...' when he realised a split second later..

[@mikeysorrentino8480]

And yes a new Moneypenny for a new Bond is not a bad idea. You make a good point on the chemistry between Bonds and their respective Moneypenny’s. For example, I couldn’t see Samantha Bond’s Moneypenny moving on to act opposite Daniel Craig

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Samantha Bond herself said that in an interview that Brosnan was her Bond and she was fine leaving with him.

[@rokaanalzeer7148]

Agreed. You look Lois maxwells dynamics with Connery and Moore and they’re vastly different. Especially with Moore it didn’t work as well as it did with Connery.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@rokaanalzeer7148True-Moore and Maxwell were close friends in real life [to the extent Moore named one of his son's Christian after Maxwell's son] so on screen it was a lot more 'old friends' than any sexual chemistry. It didn't help Moneypenny's role was quite small in that era [I seem to recall her screen time in Moonraker was less than 1 minute].

[@mikeysorrentino8480]

@@jamesatkinsonja and in Moonraker, Bond seemed irritated with her

[@rokaanalzeer7148]

@@jamesatkinsonja yeah which the old friends dynamic can work if it makes sense in the context of the story. You look at naomie Harris’s moneypenny. We see her and bond flirt with each other in skyfall and spectre. And when we get to no time to die and moneypenny sees that bonds heart belongs to swann and she respects that and instead sees bond as her friend.

[@DarthRushy]

I don't have much attachment to Whishaw or Harris, but Fiennes is such a spectacular modernization of the Bernard Lee M, and clearly passionate about the character he's playing. I really hope he gets to stick around.

[@anthonydpearson]

Honestly I’d love to see an iteration of Fiennes’ M that’s just a competent head of Mi6. No beef with Bond, no personal story, just a good solid boss who works with Bond

[@DarthRushy]

@@anthonydpearson We haven't had a 'good solid boss who works with Bond' since World Is Not Enough.

[@anthonydpearson]

@@DarthRushy agreed. Would be nice for it to come back.

[@bonghunezhou5051]

@@DarthRushy True!

[@bonghunezhou5051]

Are not even aware of Rory Kinnear (Tannen), I gather? 🤔😐

[@nightmaremasochist1471]

I genuinely fucking love this channel. You are the type of content creator that a fan base like ours cannot do without! Keep up the good work, Calvin.

[@calvindyson]

That's so kind of you! Thanks so much :D

[@countgeekula9143]

Needs a complete reboot with no returning main cast. After they gathered for a sad memorial for Bond it would be very, very weird to see them back in the same roles with Bond alive and well.

[@Rocket1377]

Especially if Bond is supposedly going to be an early 30 year old actor again. It would be strange to keep the same cast who acted alongside the 50+ Daniel Craig.

[@bev9708]

So glad you gave a shout out to Rory's turn in Men... he was phenomenal in that film!!!

[@damienfenton3880]

If I had to pick just one to return, it would be Harris who has been a great ambassador for the series and seems genuinely chuffed to be part of it

[@ryanmcclean7394]

Agreed. My ideal though would be Fiennes and Harris to return in their roles for the next 3-5 movies, with Harris taking over for Fiennes as M somewhere along the way.

[@michaelsinger4638]

Yes she’s great. I’m ok with Moneypenny having a somewhat different dynamic with each Bond actor myself. And if they make her M, that works to.

[@ramblingRJ]

When it comes to the main, overlapping actors, don't forget Bernard Lee, who worked with three different Bonds (Connery, Lazenby and Moore) appearing in 11 Bond films, for over 17 years.

[@TheDukeofMadness]

Two months later I find this. Ralph Fiennes was as close to Bernard Lee in how he played M as it's possible to be. He needs to come back.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

Glad Ralph Fiennes fought back on making M the antagonist. I think the way it was done in No Time To Die was perfect. He WAS a bad guy, just not THE bad guy. Being the head of MI6 sort of makes you a terrible person by default, and that version of M was no exception.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He had also come of a long stint as the main villain in Harry Potter so was probably also cautious of not wanting to be typecast as a villian.

[@joshslater2426]

Fiennes is definitely the most ideal, and a consistent Tanner would be nice. I’d be perfectly happy if Wishaw and Harris were recast since their character’s have are drastically different from what what we knew so it would be fun to find a different way to reinvent them.

[@paulklee5790]

In the books Tanner is ‘Bond’s best friend in the Service’ a dynamic that would be great to flesh out…

[@BruynDecker1]

Interesting, the definitely didn’t show that in the Craig films

[@jamesatkinsonja]

They rolled the novel roles of Tanner and Bond's secretary into Moneypenny when the series started although of course Desmond's Q become a friend as the role was developed. That's probably why pre-Brosnan Tanner rarely showed up as like Loelia Ponsonby and May he wasn't deemed necessary.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@BruynDecker1 They pretty much gave the 'friend' aspect Q and Moneypenny when they were introduced in Skyfall [tellingly it's them who help him when he returns to London in NTTD].

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Fun fact: When Eva Green won the 'rising star' award at the 2007 BAFTA's for Casino Royale, she beat very strong competition including Emily Blunt and Cillian Murphy but most noticeably both Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris were also nominated!

[@kirk8033]

Stumbled across your videos the other day, and I've been hooked ever since! Keep up the great work!

[@ECKohns]

It would probably be for the best to replace everyone so that it’s made absolutely clear that this is a different continuity.

[@eoinsgames5918]

I also think Fiennes is most likely, and he's who would I like back most as well. Would continue that tradition of Ms outlasting Bonds!

[@jayjay1drum1skate]

I’m not as big a bond fan as most people in these comments but you make fantastic videos Calvin.

[@frankb821]

I really hope they bring Fiennes back as M...he has the gravitas that would anchor proceedings otherwise likely to be peppered with a slew of young hip, inconsequential types.

[@ReluctantWarrior]

If I could pick one to return, it would easily be Ben Winshaw as Q. Obviously one wouldn't expect him to stick around as long as Desmond Llewelyn did, but he brlngs in similar warmth to the role.

[@doctorvanya]

Fiennes should return as M, but they need to make it absolutely clear that this time he's Admiral Hargreaves.

[@splintergectornathan9045]

Hah, Robert Brown 2.0

[@brianmaxim]

On watching the end of NTTD the first time my main thoughts were flooded with the loss of the MI6ers because they are so emotionally connected with the Craig Bond character arc…how can they possibly continue?! I still think the right thing to do is recast the lot, it makes the most sense all round and there’s no shortage of excellent British actors

[@BenCol]

10:27 Bond 26, brought to you by the company that invented Post-It Notes.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Great video-cool to hear the actors views on a return too. Personally, as much as I love the Craig MI6 crew, given it's standard for most franchise reboots now a days I think they will go for a clean slate approach and re-cast everyone for a completely fresh start. Where they go with the supporting characters really depends on who gets cast as Bond and where they take the story [as Q and Moneypenny were absent from the first two Craig films] so that plays a factor too in who will eventually be cast in those MI6 regular roles.

[@rain0450]

I would love a fresh start with everyone recast, but if anyone is retained, I hope it’s Fiennes as M.

[@frostyfoster6056]

I think this just goes to show how great the Craig Era MI6 cast was. You want to see all of them return in some capacity because of how unique they were. Yes, I would completely understand if everyone was recast, but I would miss them. (Naomie Harris M is such a great idea though!)

[@sandersson2813]

There were some TERRIBLE cast members too remember, Craig himself, Malik, Sedoux, De Armas, Lynch, Magnussen to name a few.

[@piezku]

@@sandersson2813 true :D

[@eric_clover]

​@@sandersson2813 Terrible????

[@sandersson2813]

@@eric_clover Yes, they were SHIT

[@Ryuk45]

@@sandersson2813 Ridiculous. You have some kind of axe to grind over No Time to Die, specifically, because all of those actors are incredible. Well, Seydoux was under-cooked in Spectre, but she's much better in No Time to Die, unless you're autistically angry over Bond having a baby mama

[@yesdollyhadbraces7442]

I consider Dench’s appearance in Spectre as an appearance. It was new footage as the same character which was integral to the plot.

[@NelsonStJames]

It would honestly be weird to see any of this cast return, with the next Bond, because even though it was obvious Craig was in a completely alternate world it was still Bond. Talking about continuity after NTTD doesn’t even seem like an option that should be on the table, even though I like these side characters very much.

[@countryoftheblind]

I really liked Michael Kitchen's version of Tanner. I was disappointed they didn't make further use of him after Goldeneye. The producers need to do more with Tanner than use him as an exposition robot.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He was supposed to be in Tomorrow Never Dies but wasn't free and his replacement-Robinson-pretty much usurped the part after that [Even with Kitchen showing up again in TWINE].

[@petermartin9001]

If they get Christopher Nolan (and that's obviously a big "IF") I would think all roles recast and who knows if the same elements like opening credit animation or even score would be reused with him.

[@tnacreative6499]

They should bring back Colin Salmon as Robinson for the next Bond film - he was great in the Brosnan films

[@jamesatkinsonja]

If your from the UK he's now in the soap Eastenders!

[@DCMarvelMultiverse]

Watch Rory in Penny Dreadful as the Frankenstein Monster. Great.

[@Cyklopz007]

I haven't watched the video yet but my knee jerk reaction to the title was, Colin Salmon as M. I think that could be really good!

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He's on Eastenders now!

[@davidjames579]

Lest we forget Judi Dench did also cameo in No Time To Die in the role of a painting. Not really a Wooden Performance, that was just the Frame.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I like the fact she has a presence in all of the Craig films.

[@BenCol]

Does that mean Robert Brown's tenure as M technically spans 1983-2021? Almost 40 years, very impressive.

[@davidjames579]

@@BenCol Yes, and Bernard Lee's 1962-1999.

[@aidancurran2623]

I'd love to see all four return - they're such excellent actors and they made such a success of their roles that anything after them would have a tough act to follow. However, since it'll presumably be a new 'universe' or 'timeline' or what have you, I'd expect a clean-slate total recasting of all four.

[@TequilaToothpick]

I hope they all come back. There's no reason to recast them. Though with Craig's Bond dying I think the whole cast will be gone sadly.

[@neilmatthews5590]

Thank you Calvin, Sundays are the same without your videos

[@Atticus75]

Clear the decks for me personally especially after the ending of NTTD. In order of likely to return possibly Naomie Harris is a cameo role followed by Wilshaw, Fiennes, Kinnear.

[@si7817]

His version of M was the villain in No Time To Die though 🤣 He carried on with the Heracles program, tried to "handle it" when it all went to shit and had the nerve to lecture Bond when he got involved. And in the end he didn't even face the consequences of his actions. I'd expect a resignation, at least.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

It's noticeable that the quotes when asked about a return are very 'I'm here if you want me' which is fairly standard when a franchise is revived/gets another sequel as there agents will certainly not want them to rule out the possibility of returning to a well paying part even if it's a long shot-When the 'Aliens' sequel [which never happened] was mooted in 2015, Bill Paxton said he'd be up for a return despite Hudson clearly dying in the 1986 film for example. Monica Bellucci gave a 'I can't tell you' comment when asked about a return in Bond 25 in Feb 2018 [which didn't happen] and when asked in September 2022, Lea Seydoux kept the door open for a Bond 26 appearance [as unlikely as that is] which is sensible. I even recall Honor Blackman saying, slightly tongue in cheek, she'd be up for a return [ 'they haven't asked me back yet'] in 2005 when she was 77! Ben Whishaw was probably a little too honest with his answer and has openly confirmed he's out of contract.

[@richardmattocks]

IMHO, M can never be a villain. They are the rock who will always support Bond no matter what he does (even if they privately make it clear to Bond that he’s been a fool). M should always publicly support Bond.

[@jondellar]

They hit gold by toughening up Judy Dench's M. But sometimes Rory Kinnear was rendered a bit insipid by the scriptwriting. He needed to be more world-weary and a little older than Bond.

[@maverick4225]

Wholeheartedly agree! Enjoyed the part in Casino Royale when Villers blew chunks and scurried away while she calmly came upon Solange's crime scene thinking "what did Bond's recklessness get himself into now?" From her debut in Goldeneye telling Brosnan she has no problem sending an agent to his death to Skyfall's heartless order to leave dying Ronson, Dame Judi Dench proved to be a formidable and convincing M.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Kinnear looks older than he is-he's 10 years younger than Daniel Craig [and a year younger than Naomie Harris] so it would be hard to bring those things to his version of the character.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

In the novels Tanner is around Bond's age and his friend in the service [one of the Benson books has Tanner scolding Bond for getting 'more misanthropic every day'] in contrast to the older and cynical M.

[@russhobart7509]

Idris Elba is too old to be the next Bond, but he has the gravitas to be an excellent M.

[@maverick4225]

Considering all the hype of him possibly being the next Bond but is now too old, it seems to be somewhat fitting for him to appear in future installments as M, in my opinion.

[@DC9848]

1) Ralph Fiennes would be great to have back 2) I loved Ben's Q, but would be open to a new one.

[@tralhasdojon]

I'd specially love Harris and Winshaw coming back but it all depends on the direction they're going. Back when Judi Dench came back in Casino Royale, I don't think most audiences were that keen on the continuity of Bond movies, but since the Craig era were much more of an ongoing story (plus everyone got into MCU movies with this exact hook) I think this would be harder to fly now. The thing I want the most out of Bond 26 is to see a completely fresh take in terms of tone and ideas, I really don't want a continuation of Craig Bond (even if just in spirit, since the character is dead), the time is ripe for reinvention. That said, if it goes full reboot and Naomi Harris is back with no explanation, I'm not the one who's going to question that!

[@J-V89]

I personally want a fresh start for the reboot soooo. Here's my fancast for the MI6 team Idris Elba or Olivia Colman as M Jenna Coleman as Moneypenny Tom Hollander as Bill Tanner Ben wishaw as Q He's the only I want to return. If he doesn't come back then I choose Richard Ayoade as Q

[@thomasanderson2757]

I think that Peter Capaldi would make a great Q next to Henry Cavil as Bond

[@crashfan9997]

Peter Capaldi as Q... amazing!

[@spencerkindra8822]

In my opinion they have to bring back at least one actor to link the next film to the previous ones. I don't care how much of a reboot the next movie is, the producers need to keep that connection to Dr. No going. They should respect at least that amount of continuity haha. The one issue of course is NTTD ends with Fiennes, Harris, Wishaw, and Kinnear all cheersing to the memory of Bond, so it'll be kind of frustrating seeing say Fiennes go "here's your newest assignment, 007." to the next actor who plays Bond. Or it could be an awesome stand up and cheer moment, I don't know haha. Great video!

[@dannymacgyver]

If I had to rank likelyness 1. Fiennes 2. Harris as m 3. Harris as Moneypenny 4. Kinnear (as Q not as tanner) 5. Kinnear as tanner 6. Wishes as Q Honestly I could see Fiennes giving ATJ’s bond orders in Chris Nolan’s 007 The question is wether we will get that or not

[@Kasino80]

As much as I like Rory Kinnear (an actor I still hope will be the Doctor one day), Michael Kitchen as Tanner in Goldeneye and TWINE, was perfect PERFECT casting.

[@DAndHGamer]

Interesting video. This is actually hard to rank for me as I think they will probably either all come back in their current roles or maybe none will come back. While I agree I don't think Harris or Kinnear would make a bad M, I don't see that happening. For me it is either all come back, none come back, or maybe a token return and if it was just one I would say Fiennes based on his interest or Harris based on her role might be the most likely.

[@freemantle85]

I think Fiennes and Harris are the most likely to return. The role of M needs an actor with a sense of gravitas and Fiennes would be the best fit, although I would be happy with Harris getting a promotion. I doubt that Whishaw would return because of what he said about the series after No Time To Die. Rory Kinnear is up in the air, but I don't think audiences would notice as much if he did get replaced or Bill Tanner didn't appear in the next Bond film

[@IAMJOELBURRIS]

TBH, the thing about NTTD that hurt the most, was the send off scene with MI6 around the window. It hurt because i think 95% of the world thinks they've literally severed every emotional tie we have with the characters in the series at that point. The fact everyone of them knows 007 died, makes it the most glaring continuity error in the entire franchise should any of them return (without a codename theory becoming reality). I really truly only care about Ralph Finnes returning as M. I think thats my favorite casting decision of the last 20 years of Bond (hard to beat LeChiffre/Mads though).

[@NeverSaySandwich1]

The problem with having bigger named actors is that they also want more screen time, which can really mess with the pacing. The MI6 gang having so much time in Spectre was annoying

[@greatwuta]

I agree

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I think they 'course corrected' that a bit in NTTD with having Bond team up with another 00 for the climax and Q providing remote assistance which made a lot more sense. Having big names also makes scheduling there roles [and of course budgeting] a lot more complicated than previously.

[@danjonmills]

I want a complete palette cleanser from the Craig era. Out with the old, in with the new!

[@dgfilms2545]

Great video! I'd like to see new characters across the board, as much as I enjoy Q I think if they were going to keep one it should be Naomi Harris as Moneypenny!

[@mikeRedMDK2032]

Yeah, i could see ralph returning. Seems he could seamlessly slip back into it, no matter the next bond's casting

[@MrAlsachti]

I just realised that in France we had a secret agent called "the knight of Eon" (who fought during the 007 years' war). Just wanted to share that crucial information with you. Sorry about that.

[@bensneb360]

As much as I’d love to see a reoccurring Q, if only one person can return, I’d go with Ralph Fiennes. He’s so perfect as M, and had such a passion and understanding of the character, him carrying on the role it definitely on par with Judi Dench returning as M, it’s perfect.

[@davidjames579]

If Christopher Nolan gets the long rumoured helming gig it'll be a total reboot and all new actors.

[@theultimatevideoman1143]

I would love to see Rory Kinnear becoming the sort of Desmond Llewellyn of this generation

[@c17sam90]

Ben Wishaw i think played Q because of the Skyfall script and the chance to work with that cast and crew and then possibly felt somewhat restrained by the multi film contract

[@DM-kv9kj]

Yeah, he may not come back, but they just make insane hundred million dollar offers these days that make anyone take any job. I kinda hope Q gets redone again tbh, if they're capable at all of doing anything well anymore (which I doubt, they'll just make an even worse job of everything). I love Ben in lots of his work, but I hate his Q. He forces the character even more than Craig forces trying to look tough and cool constantly, and the accent is so cartoonish. Desmond's Q was so natural, underplayed and had such a genuine vibe with Bond. This relationship feels completely fake and cold. It also feels like he isn't the head of a branch of MI6 but like just one annoying twerp who does everything whenever those two hack writers Purvis and Wade run out of ideas for any scene, including apparently now working with Bond on operations alongside Moneypenny...M's secretary and the guy who runs the entire equipment department of the secret service team up with a field agent like some little family MI6 dynamic. Can't stand it.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

He'd worked with Daniel Craig before [in Layer Cake] so they probably knew each other too. I think he was fine doing the role when Craig was around but probably is keen to move on with his career at this point.

[@c17sam90]

@@jamesatkinsonja yeah he joined for Mendes and Craig.

[@Supdude3]

I kinda find it hard to believe they’d return, at least not with an alive, recasted James Bond. It would be strange since they had reacted to his death.

[@CorneelVf]

Interesting discussion, Calvin! I'm more or less in agreement about Whishaw and Fiennes with you. My guess is that for the next film, the new Bond will take absolute center stage, which would mean reduced roles for M, Q and Moneypenny. Heck, I can even see EON preferring a film without some of these characters, like CR. (Not a big fan of that, though.) As Ben Whishaw is an actor who deliberately wants meaty parts and character development, I can see him not preferring to return if asked. Fiennes loves the series so much that I can see him just coming in for some lines in a two-day shoot and be fine with it. I think differentiating this new M from Mallory can perfectly happen (see Judi Dench), but I'm perhaps a bit pessimistic about Amazon executives and their questions about "Are audiences going to understand that it's a new character?", certainly since Fiennes had such important character development during NTTD. Of all the actors, I think Naomie Harris is actually the one most likely to come back. She has great potential to shill tie-in products, is a full-on brand ambassador, loves the part, and I can actually see them organising chemistry screentests to make sure the new Bond fits with Harris' Moneypenny. So, in order of probability: 1) Harris 2) Fiennes 3) Kinnear 4) Whishaw

[@richardhitchcock634]

I can’t quite explain why, as it makes little sense given the history of the franchise but I really have a gut feeling that none of them will be returning and it’s going to be an absolute clean slate with everybody. I’d love to see RF return as Judi did in Casino. But I don’t think it will happen.

[@lordofthereels6790]

I'd love to see what Andy Serkis or Idris Elba could do as M and flip the dynamic where Bond is more moral and M pushes Bond towards crazier and more intense scenarios. Like the version of M that Silva was discussing in Skyfall. Would a prequel with young Judi Dench M work? Maybe with Vanessa Kirby or Florence Pugh (probably too young) as M work?

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Pugh [27] and Kirby [34] would be too young. I like the idea of Ruth Wilson as M but she is 41 and I think M needs to be about 50 [Calvin made a good point when Robert Brown and Roger Moore looked similar age the Bond-M dynamic didn't work as well and Brown-Dalton was an improvement].

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

@@jamesatkinsonja They're saying that Kirby or Pugh would be playing Dench's M in a prequel though. I think that's a pretty good idea.

[@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep]

I've seen people suggest Elba as a vilalin but never as M. That would be a great way to get him into the franchise. He can do the sinister side but also get into the action.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@BonJoviBeatlesLedZep Of course with Dench she was in two different continuities with noticeable discrepancies [Like being Head of Hong Kong in 1997 in the Craig continuity rather than head of MI6 in TND in Brosnan's] so I can't see it working although Pugh and Kirkby would be good choices. Peter Morgan's rejected script for Bond 23 was going to do some prequel stuff with M.

[@anastasiosjohn3307]

If I was Eon I'd thank Fiennes for his work and re-cast. Agree with the each Bond having their own moneypenny so Naomie Harris would also go, but returning as M either immediately or a bit down the line would be cool. Whishaw I'd want to keep unless he demands too much and Tanner would be an afterthought, sorry Rory.

[@MoxStash]

All Bonds are different timelines. Judi Dench being in both Brosnan and Craig does not mean they are the same person. Just two versions of M split across two completely separate universes.

[@josephmielke575]

I'd like to see May (Bond's Housekeeper) make an appearance. She deserves a cinematic debut.

[@HoneyPiss]

Great video Calvin. Very insightful. I agree with your POV

[@justsomedude5727]

Fiennes only had 2 M movies so I think he deserves a chance to come back, Ben could come back since he's pretty young and can keep doing it for a while, I'd like to see a more flirty dynamic between moneypenny and bond again as long as its done appropriately, if Harris can and will do that then why not. It might sound kinda basic but I think Patrick Stewart would be an awesome M.

[@perolavhavik2585]

I think Craig's Scooby Gang were great, but I don't want them back I simply don't want any actor who was there for James Bond's wake to return. That would just be code name theory fodder.

[@sadaomuraki3143]

Naomie Harris played Moneypenny as the most loyal friend of Bond. The only one who James trusted totally.

[@stephanryll2133]

@Calvin Dyson - A "No One Lives Forever" GAME Review would be great. Greetings from Berlin.

[@DafyddBrooks]

Say what you want about Batman Forever, that movie brought back Michael Gough as Alfred and Pat Hingle as Commissioner Gordon, even though that movie is in a slightly different universe to the 2 previous Batman movies. It would be nice that they bring the old actors back, after all what ever they do with Bond 26 I'm sure they won't forget about the audience that grew up with Craigs era of Bond and alienate those fans. Remember though that Bond movies back in the 70's and 80's were in a different era of Boxoffice and movie making so i wouldnt be suprised if it will be a new cast. hahaah 9:35 i'm with you Calvin. BUT YES Ben needs to come back as Q :)

[@greatwuta]

It's the same universe

[@DafyddBrooks]

@@greatwuta naaaah fans don't see Batman forever as Batman 3 or in the same continuity of the previous films

[@doctorvanya]

@@DafyddBrooks They were always intended as sequels. The unmade Batman 5 even intended to bring back previous villains like Joker and Penguin as fear gas hallucinations. Them being a separate universe is a modern interpretation.

[@greatwuta]

@@DafyddBrooks Look up Dr. Meridan want Batman here on KZbin where she told Batman, You like strong women, I've done my homework. Or do I need skin tight vinyl and a whip? I wonder who she was talking about.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I think there was an intention for the 89-97 Batman to be the same continuity but like the older Bond films, a bit more looser [with a new girlfriend each time]-Dr Chase says does Batman like 'skin tight vinyl and a whip' in Forever referencing Catwoman for example. But given the tonal changes and changes to Batman's nature [such as not killing people in Forever compared to 89/Returns] it's hardly air tight and apparently 'Forever' and B+R are non-canon now given Keaton's return for 'the flash'.

[@tasaab]

Clearly they kept rewriting SPECTRE until they landed on putting a new character to become the turncoat, they wanted a big name actor for a one time thing. Prior to that, they were going to make one of the regulars the turncoat.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

It would have been more shocking if a character we knew from earlier films had been corrupted. As it is, the 'C' character is to obvious [it's why I wish they had brought Saavick back for Star Trek 6 as what they do with the only new character in the crew-Valeris-is very predictable].

[@Ntho1994]

I think a clean slate will work better provided they are well-cast.

[@ohscarleon]

I would argue that Felix Leiter is well above Bill Tanner in the possibilities of returning characters

[@sodiumlights]

I'd love them all to return but could it work with them all having toasted Goodbye to Bond? Too weird.

[@samm4980]

I love all elements of the “Scooby Gang” of the Craig Era, but they are forever tied to the Craig Era at this point. I think it is a bad idea not to re-cast every role unless we just want to feed the conspiracy theorists. Any combination of MI6 supporting cast starring these 4 will only feed the code name folks. If I had to pick who I’d want to see back, I would probably want to see Whishaw, Fiennes, and Rory, in that order. I tend to agree with you about recasting Moneypenny to have chemistry with the actor, but also because I would think they would want to find an actress who is close to the same age of Bond. I also think that bringing back Lashawna Lynch in her role in any way is another way to feed the code name theorists.

[@1Chasg]

I don't see it happening since they all morned Bond at the end of No Time To Die. Would seen strange to reboot the franchise only to have them back.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

With audiences much more aware of continuity than previously [especially given the 'multi-verse' films around at the minute], I'd be surprised if we ever got even a Maud Adam's situation [supporting character in one film , back as a different character a few films later] or Joe Don Baker [villain one film, ally in a couple of later ones], let alone someone in multiple films coming back to now paying a different role [even if it's a different continuity], so I feel it's unlikely if they brought back say Naomie Harris as M [who's real name is not Moneypenny] as it might confuse a lot of people.

[@renekauts8323]

Best Moneypenny ever: Lois Maxwell! I liked this lady in DN and I liked this lady in AVTAK! A timeless classic! Of course, Timothy Dalton needed a new and more modern secretary. Caroline Bliss was perfect for him. So was Samantha Bond for Pierce Brosnan. I agree with you that Naomie Harris is replaceable. Perhaps the entire staff(M, Q, Tanner, ...) will have to be replaced? New Bond= new staff? *** By the way, do you know who was the sexiest Moneypenny? Answer: Barbara Bouchet in "Casino Royale"(1967)! The movie was crap, but Moneypenny was super hot!

[@donaldbishop5320]

I personally would love to see all four actors return in their roles. But time is passing and they are getting older.

[@Nightofthelivingandy]

Oh man I would love for Kinnear to come back as M. What a great fit!

[@andrewchapman4267]

I can definitely see that happening

[@BenCol]

I've enjoyed them all in the parts they've played and would happily see them come back, but, like my fellow Ben said, I suspect they're probably going to go for a total reboot. As you said, they might keep Fiennes as long as they establish it's a new continuity (new office maybe? Though Dench M did keep her office from DAD to Casino Royale, so maybe that's unnecessary). But if he's not back I doubt anyone else would be - it'd be odd if we had a new M and Moneypenny but brought back Rory Kinnear. (Also, can we actually have some scenes of Bond and Tanner being friends? Cause that's the thing with Tanner, he's the closest thing Bond has to an actual friend - think the scene of them having lunch together in the MI6 canteen in VARGR or them playing golf together in Raymond Benson's High Time to Kill, but that's beside the point.) The thing is, I don't think Tanner, Moneypenny and Q necessarily need big name actors. M I feel is a role that works best when given proper gravitas - this is the only person who can make the usually confident and unflappable Bond feel ashamed - so it helps to get an actor with that amount of stature as opposed to a jobbing actor. Q, Moneypenny and Tanner though? Well, as much as I love Maxwell and Llewelyn, they were jobbing actors essentially playing bit parts in their Bond films (like, I think I read somewhere that Llewelyn total screen time for his 17 Bond films is only half-an-hour or so). I don't think it'd hurt the series to go back to that. Except, it is true that getting big names does help get bums on seats, and with such high budgets they need all the bums they can get. The films have to cater to the non-fans just as much as the fans - if anything, they have to cater to casual moviegoers more, since we Bond fans don't need much convincing to go see a Bond film. But then, if EON went slightly smaller scale for Bond 26 (dial it back down to an eight figure budget) they could perhaps take a few more chances with casting rather than chasing the most recent Best Actor and Actress winners. Especially with a new Bond's first film, where a lot of people will come and see purely out of curiosity to see what the new Bond will be like, rather than because it stars a particular actor. I mean, while GoldenEye and Casino Royale both have a lot of recognisable faces, were they so recognisable to audience members in 1995 and 2006? How many people in 1995 knew who Sean Bean, Alan Cumming or Samantha Bond were? And Eva Green and Mads Mikkelsen were hardly household names in the Anglosphere before Casino Royale. So, yes, the question of casting comes down to what kind of film EON want Bond 26 to be.

[@calvindyson]

Completely agree with your point about Tanner, Moneypenny and Q not needing big name actors for the parts. I'd be quite alright with them casting character actors/unknowns in the parts as they have done in the past. Something quite nice about discovering new actors through Bond. Mads Mikkelsen is probably one of my favourites actors in general now and Casino Royale is obviously a huge part of his initial exposure to English speaking audiences!

[@jamesatkinsonja]

Agree with you it's likely to be a total reboot. When Q and Moneypenny came on the scene they seemed a lot closer to Bond as friends than Tanner ever did and he does seem a lot more Sidelined in the later Craig films. Tabloids/internet seem obsessed with A-Listers being linked to Bond but agree less known actors tend to work best-particularly as Bond 26 is likely to be lower budget out of necessity [as a new Bond is always a bigger risk than an established one].

[@bonghunezhou5051]

Me too; most likely a total overhaul of the cast, in contrast to Casino Royale, which retained the well-known Judi Dench. But then, Bond had not been offed in the preceding Die Another Day!

[@CDubya.82]

The media and KZbin crowd and the types of assumptions and theories pushed out there during the period between Bonds is always the same

[@ralphroshia9247]

Here is my opinion Fiennes will Definitely be back Harris and Kinnear maybe and Wishaw probably not

[@ArsenalTheoryPodcast]

Gotta say I want them to go hard reboot and bring none of them back. The way NTTD ended was very final and so I feel a clean break is needed. Remember in CR and QoS there wasn’t even a Q or Moneypenny! Outrageous when you think about it

[@samhodgson2262]

I'd love to see Harris return as Moneypenny, but she's now gone back into the field.

[@angusmcmillan111]

I wish they could all return, but I think it would be jarring given how NTTD ended. Would agree with anyone saying Ben Wishaw's Q would be the best to return - he brought something great to the role which could have been too eccentric or too bland

[@martinwells5747]

M appears in a painting in NTTD :)

[@johnrigs6540]

I would love to bring back all 3 - but since they all mourned Bonds death - it might be very strange! But if I were to select one to return - I would probably just bring back Q. Ben was a sensational choice to follow Desmond, and easily the favorite of movie audiences around the world. So everyone would be happy to see him back for sure. But I don’t know… They finished filming NTTD before the Pandemic in 2019. They released it in 2021. And of course - they killed off our hero. It is now 2023 and outside of a few rumors here and there there are just no hints and no signs at all that anything is being done to continue the series. So technically almost 4 years have gone by since EON has worked on a James Bond film. I am seriously starting to get concerned that either they have lost interest in the series or they really are just clueless as to what to do next. In any event - unless there are big things happening we are not aware of…. they are definitely not close to filming the next entry anytime soon. So this means 2025 or 2026 will be when the next one is released - which sadly seems pretty far away. And at that point so much time will have passed that they will probably just start fresh and recast everybody!

[@JoeWritesThis]

I agree with the point about them mourning Bond in No Time to Die and then interacting with the same character again like it never happened. It's a shame because it's such a great supporting cast.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

I was expecting a big break even before NTTD was delayed given that both Brosnan and Craig benefited from Bond being away for a while and casting a new Bond is tied in with setting the tone for the next set of films which isn't something to be rushed particularly as one of the few things they've said is wanting a bond for 'ten years'. Even if NTTD came out in early 2020 as planed, I doubt a new Bond film would have been out yet. Amazon taking over MGM was also something that needed to be dealt with. They've been quite upfront about 2022 being a '60th anniversary year' then work on Bond 26 starts this year. I think 2026 is probably the most likely given were just starting to get 2025 films being announced [particularly the DC ones] but we need to be patient unfortunately.

[@johnrigs6540]

@@jamesatkinsonja Sadly you are absolutely right. I suspect that we have no script no director and no James Bond yet So we got a ways to go lol! 2026 is probably the most likely Time they the next one will come around. I was just hoping it would be quicker since NTTD was finished a while back. I honestly think that at this point Barbara and company actually seem like they are a bit tired of the franchise and are in no hurry to get back to it. That’s been pretty easy to see from some of their recent comments!

[@GermanLeftist]

It's a similar situation to the early 90s. Amazon has bought MGM and with that the distribution rights to Bond. They want to milk the franchise for everything it is worth. This also means that EON has to deal with Amazon on what direction to take the franchise in, instead of being able to decide this on their own. And regarding EON, Michael Wilson has been rumoured to want to step down for some time now, leaving Barbara Broccoli alone in charge. Is she going to continue on her own or is she maybe also looking for somebody to step in for him? Those are issues that have to be dealt with before they can actually cast a new Bond and start working on the next film.

[@BenCol]

@@GermanLeftist I suspect if Michael G. Wilson does step down his son Gregg will replace him - he's been Associate Producer on the films since Quantum of Solace and has been a part of the films in some capacity even longer, so I suspect he'll replace Michael in the same way Barbara Broccoli replaced Cubby.

[@kuribayashi84]

I'd be happy if they do, but not surprised if they didn't. I mean, they did keep the regulars in the past when they switched the Main Actor, but the last Movie of one Bond never ended with the Character dying before. And Dench returning for CS I always considered kind of an oddity, albeit a welcome one.

[@toshoshi1551]

I think they should but it since Bond died, it may be a bit weird. Judi Dench played M for 17 years.

[@zastorlexa9800]

In my order of preference: Harris. She has been perfect for the role. (Or bring back Samantha Bond). Wishaw. Fiennes. Kinnear. Bland. He hasn't really made an impression. Kitchen made a much better impression on me. Great video. 🙂

[@leehenderson349]

I would like to see them return, I think if nobody return plus a new Bond it wouldn't feel like a bond movie just wouldn't be the same, I'd quite happily see them all come back but I think Q is a favourite for everyone.

[@TheAwesomeDarkNinja]

I personally think they have a great opportunity to remain in the Daniel Craig universe. It doesn't have a Bond anymore, and could use a new 007 without losing all the characters they built up. Of course this would be codename theory to the max, but still cool.

[@matthewganong1730]

I would be all-in on Whishaw’s Q sticking around. I felt like he made it his own but still had touches of Desmond Llewelyn here and there. If they are going to re-cast M, how about really exploding heads and casting Idris Elba?

[@davidjames579]

He's the right age.

[@jamesatkinsonja]

@@davidjames579 Elba would be a great choice as M.

[@JohnSmith-zq9mo]

I don't think many viewers even recognize that Tanner is the name of a character that has been played several actors. I would like Fiennes to return, but the rest to be recast.