‘No Time to Die’ is the 25th installment in the long-running and ever-popular ‘James Bond‘ series of films. It follows a retired James Bond who returns to the deadly trade of espionage to save a scientist and stop Lyutsifer Safin from unleashing a bioweapon which is a threat to the entire world. After a lengthy wait, the spy movie directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga has finally arrived on our screens. With its release comes the wave of discussion about the franchise’s future which has successfully evolved over multiple decades.
The film being the final one in the series with Daniel Craig as the super-stylish secret agent is a much-publicized fact, and this calls for another phase of transition for the franchise. If you are curious to find out what’s in store for Agent 007 and what a future installment in the ‘James Bond’ series will look like, here’s everything we know about ‘Bond 26.’
Bond 26 Release Date
‘No Time to Die’ was released in theaters on October 8, 2021, by United Artists Releasing (in North America) and Universal Pictures (Internationally). The movie held its world premiere on September 28, 2021, and was released in the UK on September 30, 2021, before receiving a worldwide release in October. The film was aiming for a November 2019 release but was delayed multiple times due to behind-the-scenes changes and effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the production and theater business.
As far as a new installment in the globe-trotting franchise is concerned, ‘No Time to Die’ does end with an after-credits slate that promises James Bond will return. However, production is yet to take any form or shape on the new entry, and it will almost certainly be a soft reboot as a change in the lead role is imminent.
In August 2021, producer Michael G Wilson opened up about the franchise’s future. Wilson stated that the search for a new actor to take over the part of James bond is yet to commence, and there are currently no front-runners in the race. Wilson’s producing partner Barbara Broccoli said that the decision of who to cast as the next Bond would determine the direction the franchise takes. Broccoli has also revealed that the hunt for a new lead actor won’t begin until 2022.
Therefore, it is perhaps too early to talk about when production on the new iteration will commence. Movies in the franchise are typically released roughly 2-4 years after their predecessors, with the notable exceptions being ‘GoldenEye’ and ‘No Time to Die,’ which arrived six years after the previous installment. All things considered, we could see ‘Bond 26’ on our screen sometime in 2024, at the earliest.
Bond 26 Cast: Who can be in it?
In ‘No Time to Die,’ Daniel Craig stars as James Bond for the fifth time. Alongside Craig, Léa Seydoux (Madeleine Swann), Ben Whishaw (Q), Naomie Harris (Eve Moneypenny), Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter), Christoph Waltz (Ernst Stavro Blofeld), and Ralph Fiennes (Gareth Mallory/M) also reprise their roles from the previous installments. Rami Malek (Lyutsifer Safin), Ana de Armas (Paloma), and Lashana Lynch (Nomi) also appear in pivotal roles.
As previously mentioned, Craig has stepped down from the role of Bond. Hence, for ‘Bond 26,’ a new actor will be seen in the iconic role. High-profile names such as Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Idris Elba have all been touted for the part, but no actor is officially attached at present. Regé-Jean Page (‘Bridgerton‘) is another popular pick for the role among fans and would provide the franchise a much-needed youthful exuberance and scope for reinvention.
Other actors might return to play their respective characters depending on the direction the studio takes the franchise in. In the case of a total reboot, we can expect new actors to play fan-favorite characters such as Moneypenny, M, and Q. The new film could also take a drastically different approach by focusing on Lynch’s character Nomi, the successor to Bond’s “007” codename.
Bond 26 Plot: What can it be About?
‘No Time to Die’ is the conclusion of the character arc that began with Craig’s first tango as Bond in 2006’s ‘Casino Royale.’ In the movie, Bond finds himself up against Lyutsifer Safin, a terrorist who proves himself to be one of the most formidable adversaries Bond has faced until now. In the end, Bond thwarts Safin’s plan and saves the day in a heroic and stylish fashion.
‘Bond 26’ is likely to reset the British super spy’s history and will begin his story from a fresh page. What we can expect for sure is that the world will be at stake once again, and Bond will have to risk his life to save it. In the process, we will be treated to more explosive action and high-tech gadgetry. In case the studio decides to go for a female iteration of 007, it would also provide the makers with a clean slate and fresh storytelling opportunities.
Read More: Where Was No Time To Die Filmed?