It seems like there is plenty of fodder for some Bond-like swashbuckling.
Done to some extent by the Guy Ritchie Sherlock films and the last Kingsman film.
On His Majesty(Charles II)'s Secret Service.
As he travels across Europe, he meets the Three Musketeers.
I have to ask, have you seen No Time To Die?
I vaguely remember a previous thread in which someone suggested that “James Bond” is simply a code name, which is why there have been multiple actors playing the same role. That might be one way into a new interpretation.
I did, not sure why you’re asking?
Argh no, not the codename theory! Pet hate of many a Bond fan.
That’s actually a good description of the Aubrey / Maturin series of novels, except that you overlooked the ships. Stephen Maturin is a spy / secret agent / agent runner / whatever organising resistance movements against Napoleonic French occupiers. And you don’t get more epic than naval fleet actions.
The Scarlet Pimple doesn’t get a look in.
I know even less about masted ships than I do espionage thrillers. I did have ships in my story, but only because my hero’s real identity was as a trader at the docks.
Aren’t Aubrey and Maturin from Master and Commander? I wouldn’t have guessed those were about espionage.
The original Bond was a gambler who was not averse to padding his expenses to maintain an extravagant lifestyle, far above his social status and income.
Yes - Master and Commander [film] is a pastiche of several of the books, and Peter Weir chose to not even point towards that element in the plot. Even in the books its played subtlely, with slow reveals of what Stephen get up to, and even then its remains deliberately vague.
I’m guessing that what first got me thinking about it was the ending of DIE ANOTHER DAY: yeah, the guy who was about to lead North Korea to victory got defeated, so, y’know, mission accomplished; and, oh, hey, all these diamonds that could’ve been lost at sea happen to be right next to Bond and the woman he rescued from certain death; a brief chat ensues about whether to play jewel thief by just not mentioning this, but there’s never any doubt that, nope, stick in the mud, that’s the James Bond way!
And when you take that as the starting point: seriously, what do Bond’s after-action reports look like?
‘Well, you sent me to retrieve the Solex prototype from a guy who had a real thing for keeping golden accessories on his person — gold cufflinks, a gold pen, a gold cigarette case and a gold cigarette lighter, and so on — and he challenged me to a duel, and I killed him in self-defense, and I came here with the prototype, and nothing else.’
‘So I was investigating the whereabouts of the stolen encoder; on a hunch, I used the gadgetry from Q Branch to play safecracker. Bypassing the locks was the easy part; the hard part was, the encoder was behind so much other stuff he kept in that safe! I could sketch it for you, if you’d like: stacks of cash were in the front, and this encoder I’m now handing you was in the back.’
‘In my opinion, Doctor No had valuable contraband on display at his base of operations; it sure caught my eye! Anyway, I left upon destroying said base of operations, with nothing further to report.’
‘And so I used trick dice to win a lot of money off of Kamal Khan. And then I then tossed the money away.’
This is, as far as I can tell, how it actually goes, over and over and always played completely straight; but it doesn’t have to be.
We’re finally shown the truth - James Bond is actually a timelord - regenerating just when needed to assume a new face. Stuck in one timeline, he’s destined to a linear life until he finally defeats Spectre. (Seriosly Pissed Extra Creepy Time Robbers Everywhere)
Because what you posted as a possible new Bond, your JB:TNG, IS No Time To Die. They even had a 1) Black 2) woman 007.
It was an atrocity, and I fully expect Amazon to desecrate the Bond legacy as well.
I really don’t remember the woman 007. Think it’s time to give it a re-watch.
I thought the code name was canon for the movies. Agents don’t stay in the field for many decades. The movies don’t make any effort for continuity between the agents.
Meet Nomi, 007:
They jacked up that theory when Moore Bond visited the grave of Lazenby Bond’s dead wife.
Well, it’s obvious someone saw my brilliant idea, invented a time machine and went back and used it. That’ll teach me to post on message boards!