'James Bond' Officially Shares Its Universe With Another Franchise

The James Bond franchise is being rebooted. A new cinematic release under Amazon MGM is in the early stages of development, with Denis Villeneuve (Dune, Dune: Part Two) set to direct. But the search for the next 007 actor, who will follow Daniel Craig’s five-film series, won’t begin until production on Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three wraps next year.

However, IO Interactive’s third-person action-adventure video game “007 First Light” has already introduced a new James Bond in an origin story that explores the iconic character’s early missions — before he acquires his Double-O status. In the game, the MI6 agent is voiced and played in motion capture performance by Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin).

Watch the official trailer for the game below:

But while that game stands on its own — IO Interactive has confirmed that it’s separate from Amazon MGM’s upcoming film reboot — the wider James Bond universe has already started to appear in other media in surprising ways, courtesy of the developers behind “First Light”.

Earlier this year, Hollywood actor Mads Mikkelsen reprised his role as the calculated banker Le Chiffre, the villain from the Daniel Craig-era film Casino Royale (2006), in IO Interactive’s “Hitman 3”, the third chapter in their World of Assassination trilogy.

In the game, Le Chiffre, voiced by and modeled after the Danish actor, was integrated as a high-profile “Elusive Target” for the game’s lead, Agent 47, allowing fans to encounter a cinematic James Bond character in a completely different franchise. Watch the trailer below:

Related: ‘Harry Potter’ Actor Favorite To Play James Bond in Movie Reboot

While “007 First Light” will build its own continuity around Patrick Gibson’s Bond — with plans for sequels if the first is successful when it releases next year — the return of a villain like Le Chiffre in Hitman highlights the flexibility of this once-seemingly rigid franchise.

For fans of both worlds, this also raises intriguing possibilities. While this crossover doesn’t mean that Agent 47 exists within the Daniel Craig Bond universe, seeing a Bond character reappear in a different franchise, even in another medium, highlights the potential for the former series to cross over with other worlds in cinema.

It also leaves us wondering whether Agent 47 will make a surprise appearance in “First Light”. Although, personally, we’d love to see James Bond cross paths with Mission: Impossible — the second most iconic franchise that revolves around a globe-trotting superspy.

When Is “007 First Light” Out?

“007 First Light” will be released on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, and Windows on March 27, 2026.

The official website describes the game as “a thrilling narrative action-adventure game developed and published by IO Interactive,” inviting players to “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.”

Are you excited about playing “007 First Light”? Let us know in the comments down below!