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Credit: IO Interactive under license from Amazon MGM Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon ProductionsHere’s everything we know about the upcoming James Bond reboots.
New James Bond Film: Everything We Know So Far
Amy Pascal (Spider-Man: Homecoming) and David Heyman (the Harry Potter films) are set to produce through Pascal Pictures and Heyday Films, respectively, with longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson having stepped down earlier this year.
Who Will Play James Bond in the New Film?
As for who will follow Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig and take up the mantle of 007, that remains classified for now.
Names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson (28 Years Later) and Aaron Pierre (Rebel Ridge) are currently circulating, while Henry Golding (Snake Eyes: G.I. Joe Origins) and Tom Holland (Spider-Man: No Way Home) are the latest to have unofficially entered the conversation.
It remains to be seen who will take on the iconic role but it’s likely no one who has been named yet. We also don’t know how the reboot will follow the Daniel Craig era of films.
While Craig’s Bond is killed off at the end of No Time to Die (2021), supporting characters such as Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), Q (Ben Whishaw), M (Ralph Fiennes), and Nomi (Lashana Lynch) live on, and as such, could return in a brand-new continuity in the same way that M (Dame Judi Dench) appeared in both the Brosnan and Craig eras.
Meanwhile, another James Bond reboot is in development.
“007 First Light”: Everything We Know So Far
What is “007 First Light”?
Developed and published by IO Interactive under license from Amazon MGM Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon Productions, “007 First Light” is a third-person, single-player, action-adventure video game. It dropped its announcement trailer in early June.
“007 First Light” Trailer
Which Bond Are We Playing as in “007 First Light”?
The game features a new actor in the role of the MI6 superspy, who’s the first to be slipping into the iconic tux since Daniel Craig’s fifth and final outing in No Time to Die.
While the actor playing the young Bond in the game hasn’t been named yet, many fans are convinced that it’s Irish actor Patrick Gibson, best known for playing the young version of fictional serial killer Dexter Morgan in the Paramount+ series Dexter: Original Sin (2024).
However, in an interview with RadioTimes.com, IO interactive franchise director Jonathan Lacaille remained silent on Bond’s identity, saying that it will be unveiled later this summer.
He also shared some details about what players can expect, and talked about how the upcoming game fits into the wider Bond franchise that now resides under Amazon MGM.
Lacaille revealed that IO, the developer best known for making the popular Hitman games, drew inspiration from Ian Fleming’s original James Bond novels, while also being given the creative freedom by Amazon MGM to come up with a Bond who feels familiar but fresh and exciting at the same time.
“007 First Light” Gameplay and Story
“There’s a lot of inspiration to take from all the great movies and their legacy, but this isn’t what the game is trying to do,” he said. “We’re not trying to emulate what’s been done in the past, but really trying to propose something fresh that’s specifically for the gaming medium.”
The trailer gives us a good idea about what to expect from the plot and gameplay. We know that “First Light” is an origin story that shows Bond’s parents being killed in a mountaineering accident in Iceland. In the present, the story centers on him earning his “license to kill.”
As for the gameplay, expect hand-to-hand combat, shootouts, high-speed car chases, and, of course, lots of espionage and stealth involving plenty of familiar gizmos and gadgets.
“Agent 47 and James Bond are very different characters. In the Hitman games, you have to be very calculated and patient. You have to come up with a genius scheme to get a creative kill. [In “First Light”], Bond is younger and more reckless, so we want the player to think on their feet all the time. They will have to make quick decisions under pressure and so the pace and rhythm is different,” Lacaille explained.
Related: Universal Studios GB’s James Bond Stunt Show: What To Expect
Could “First Light” Bond Return for the New Film?
Lacaille also explained that “First Light” won’t be canon with the upcoming 007 film from Amazon MGM, saying, “It’s been discussed, but it’s not the case.” This is hardly surprising, though, considering most, if not all previous James Bond games have little to do with the films.
In fact, most James Bond games are based off the films, like the classic Nintendo 64 title “GoldenEye” (1997). Although there have been occasions where actors such as Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig have reprised their roles in standalone video games.
Perhaps “First Light” will take the opposite approach, meaning its lead actor will also play Bond in the new film. While we now know the two won’t be connected in any way, never say never.
Either way, if the new 007 in “First Light” is indeed Dexter actor Patrick Gibson, you could say he’s already been given his “license to kill”.
Release Dates for Both James Bond Reboots
“007 First Light” Release Date and Platforms
The third-person game centers on a Bond origin story similar to Craig’s Casino Royale (2006). “007 First Light is a thrilling narrative action-adventure game developed and published by IO Interactive,” the official website‘s description for the game reads.
“Follow James Bond as a young, resourceful, and sometimes reckless recruit in MI6’s training program, and discover an origin story of the world’s most famous spy.”
“007 First Light” will be released on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows sometime in 2026.
There’s no release date for the new Bond film.
Who do you think is playing Bond in the new game? What about the new film? Let us know in the comments!