If you’re a James Bond fan like I am, it’s fair to say you may be having whiplash with all the news around the franchise. Godamn, even I’m struggling with this Herculean task. Since 2005, at the time when Daniel Craig was first announced as the new 007, there hasn’t been AS MUCH new information and speculation about the future of this franchise as now.

Of course, what started all of this was the shocking (and not ‘positively shocking’ like Sean Connery once said in Goldfinger) news that Amazon MGM Studios has officially gained creative control over the 007 franchise from producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson from EON Productions. The entire Bond fanbase went into disarray, many of us worrying over the possible end of the Golden Age of James Bond, others curious to see what additional content, other than motion pictures, this deal could bring. The obvious question above all: who will be the next Bond? Henry Cavill? Josh O’Connor? Aaron Taylor-Johnson? Too early to tell…again.

However, I won’t really cover this here. There are so many articles covering the Amazon takeover news and the speculation about the next Bond actor that it’s hard to be distinctive in all this media noise. I do want to refer to a recent interview that a “previous” Bond, Pierce Brosnan, gave to GQ Magazine regarding the future of the franchise. Bottom line, the interview raised this fascinating question: Should Brosnan come back as an older version of Bond in a new film or TV project piloted by Amazon MGM Studios?

Let’s give some context. The last time Pierce Brosnan wore the Bond tuxedo was almost 23 years ago in Die Another Day (2002). After appearing in four movies – also including Goldeneye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), and The World is not Enough (1999) – films that generated good money at the box office but received mixed reviews from critics, Brosnan’s era came to an end on an unfortunate low note. Die Another Day remains one of the worst movies in the franchise to this day. It was later revealed that Pierce wanted to come back as 007 one last time, but EON producers declined to have him back. Since then, Brosnan still had huge respect for the role, as he gave his voice to Bond in video game adaptations, but we could tell that he was glad that it was all over.

The recent GQ article appeared days after the Amazon deal over the creative rights on the Bond franchise, and Brosnan responded to this potential return to the role: “I’ve heard of that. Of course, how could I not be interested?”. Also, according to GQ:

“By the end of his answer, Brosnan’s enthusiasm seemed to waver, as he concluded that though it would be a “rather romantic notion and idea,” the role is now “best left to another man, really.”

The essential part that got my attention: he would be ready to reprise the role under the right circumstances.

So, in 2025, let’s ask this question: why should Brosnan return as James Bond? If it wasn’t clear enough, YES, he should consider it! The idea of an “older” James Bond is something we never really explored prior. In both recent movies and recent books released with the approval of Ian Fleming Publications, Bond was always featured in his prime. Realistically, how would an older James Bond be portrayed on-screen? Is he still the charming, sophisticated secret agent that shoots quicker than his shadow? Or maybe something closer to what we got with the fifth and final Indiana Jones movie: an old relic of the Cold War living with liver failure, and maybe no longer keeping his ‘tip up’ like in Die Another Day (pun intended)?

In my imaginary scenarios, our older Bond is retired from the service, with health problems due to the copious amount of alcohol and physical pain he endured in life, but can be called back to serve King and Country as a favour to MI6 or old allies. Now, look at that still from The November Man (2014) below and tell me you see it as well!

To make an even better case, here are all the reasons why having Brosnan back as 007, either in a motion picture or a limited series produced by Amazon MGM Studios, is the bold idea James Bond fans need right now in this troubled time in entertainment.

At 71 years old, Brosnan looks great and is as active as ever

Yes, you read correctly, the Irish-born actor is now 71 years old, but damn does he still look great. Actually, if a real-life James Bond would age, he would probably look a little like Brosnan: suave as ever, rocking the suits and enjoying a fulfilling career. Also, Brosnan is incredibly active in the industry, starring in either action movies or spy dramas once or twice every year. Even though his most recent films are more or less successful, there are few notable performances, like the superhero Dr. Fate in Black Adam (2022) and Devereaux, the November Man super-spy, in The November Man (2014). In recent news, he is starring in Guy Ritchie’s next gangster epic alongside Tom Hardy in MobLand in 2025. Needless to say, Pierce is ready for action once again; he’s been ready since 2002.

It would finally give Brosnan the swan song he deserved

It was always a shame for a charismatic and great action film star like Brosnan – he never truly got his swan song as James Bond 007. Considering how Die Another Day was so poorly received back in 2002, it made sense that EON Productions wanted to cut ties with him and reboot the franchise with the fresh face of Daniel Craig and the awesome spectacle that was Casino Royale (2006), considered by many to be the best film in the franchise. Although all of this was far from Brosnan’s fault as he always gave his absolute best in the role, but he didn’t have the luck to be gifted with scripts that cherished his 007…except maybe for Goldeneye (1995).

Having grown up with Brosnan as my Bond, I’ve also enjoyed his films, and I’m quite happy to see that fans are appreciating to love those movies for what they have to offer. Goldeneye was an awesome ‘techno-action’ epic that launched Bond in the 1990s. It was an action-packed film that delivered memorable villains (including the excellent Sean Bean as Agent 006) and perhaps the best Nintendo 64 game of all time. Tomorrow Never Dies was a different beast, offering even more spectacle but also more ludicrous stakes. Interestingly, this film is starting to receive high praise for how ahead of its time it really was: a media mogul is ready to start World War III in order to get more media ratings (anybody comes to mind?). The World is Not Enough is a personal favourite of mine and considered one of the most underrated films in the franchise. A Shakespearian drama disguised as a spy film, the story honors Fleming’s writing by putting a wounded oil heiress diagnosed with Stockholm Syndrome as the main villain; a bold twist that is memorable. As we all know, Die Another Day closed Brosnan’s era with absolutely bonkers stunts and gadgets, misplaced humor and childish gimmicks, a rare razzie in an overall impressive line-up.

Amazon MGM Studios probably needs a familiar face to put fans at ease

Now, the Amazon takeover leaves a lot of fans (myself included) worried about what the future may hold for Bond. The Broccoli family was at the helm of the franchise since the very beginning; they knew Bond better than anyone else as they helped Fleming flesh him out for the big screen. Still fresh is the memory of major franchises falling into the hands of studios with streaming platforms at the front; the hate that Star Wars fans have had for Disney since the 2012 takeover and the release of controversial movies and TV shows is now legendary. Chances are, it can also happen with the new producers behind James Bond. Can they be hungry for profit over the brand while also treating the franchise with the respect it deserves?

Now, regardless of what happens, having a previous Bond actor come back might just be the best possible stunt a studio can think of to get fans behind them. We all know and love Brosnan as an actor and as Bond, so it would be an easy win to start this new journey with Amazon MGM on a positive note! It can reassure us, put us at ease and give us some of that sweet, sweet nostalgia. Just sayin’, there’s no harm in ‘well-handled’ hommages.

It’s a good opportunity to bring back previous Bond Girls as side-kicks

How about a little cherry on top of the cake to complement it? What I also quite like about the idea of having Pierce Brosnan in the role once more is the possibility of bringing back characters from his 007 films, most realistically Bond Girls as old flames. Interestingly enough, this is 100% achievable if we look at where these actresses are in their career.

The obvious #1 choice for me is Michelle Yeoh as the Chinese agent Wai Lin from Tomorrow Never Dies, who also happens to be a recent Best Actress Oscar winner for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022). In the political landscape of 2025, China plays an imposing and scary role in the instability of the world economy, which would be a good opportunity to bring Wai Lin back to either help Bond once more or even face him on behalf of her government. Michelle Yeoh is also very active as an actress and would remain a perfect pairing for an older James Bond.

The second best option is one I would never have considered promoting, but now it makes sense: Halle Berry (also an Oscar winner for Monster’s Ball in 2001) could come back as NSA agent Jinx to help Bond after the events of Die Another Day. Speaking previously about the 2025 Oscars, it was Halle Berry who walked on stage to honor Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson’s career, which is almost setting the stage for her character’s return. Same as Michelle Yeoh, Berry is incredibly active, still looks great and can handle action like a pro (see John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, and you’ll know what I mean). Jinx was far from a likable Bond Girl in the film, and her solo movie was even being discussed, but poor reviews of Die Another Day dismantled the whole thing. If the script handles her well and drops the childish humour she was known for, it could be fair to give Berry another crack at Jinx. The United States is also in an extraordinary political state with the return of Donald Trump; this can also set the stage nicely for Bond to visit the US to team up with her again, without ever diving into real-world events directly.

All in all, the reasons to wish for the return of Pierce Brosnan in the role of James Bond to add to the legacy of the character are numerous. Remains to be seen if the producers working under the Amazon MGM banner can appreciate this bold idea for what it is: the safest creative decision to start this new chapter of the world of 007, hand-in-hand with happy fans!