“It’s a rather romantic notion and idea, but I think everything changes, everything falls apart,” Pierce Brosnan said

Pierce Brosnan in 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies; Pierce Brosnan on March 7, 2024. Photo:

Keith Hamshere/Getty; JC Olivera/Variety via Getty

With all the speculation over who may portray James Bond next, why not throw Pierce Brosnan’s martini back in the ring?

Brosnan, 71, was prompted to respond to the notion that he could portray an older version of the character in future Bond movies after Amazon MGM Studios took full control of the iconic British spy franchise while speaking with GQ about his new series MobLand on Tuesday, March 4.

“I’ve heard of that,” Brosnan said of the idea that he should return to playing Bond. The British actor previously led four 007 movies between 1995 and 2002 and preceded Daniel Craig in the iconic role.

“Of course, how could I not be interested?” he added. “But it’s a delicate situation now. I think it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie, really. I think so. It’s a rather romantic notion and idea, but I think everything changes, everything falls apart. I think that it’s best left to another man, really. Fresh blood.”

Pierce Brosnan, Helen Mirren and Tom Hardy Fight for Power in New Crime Series MobLand – See the First Look (Exclusive)Pierce Brosnan in 2002’s Die Another Day.

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Bond’s future has been up in the air for more than three years now; Craig, 57, left the role after the conclusion of 2021’s No Time to Die. Despite years of speculation regarding the series’ future, The Wall Street Journal published a December 2024 report that claimed the Broccoli family, who produced the Bond films for decades, and Amazon had reached “an impasse” regarding new movies after Amazon purchased MGM Studios and the rights to distribute the 007 movies in 2022.

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On Feb. 20, Amazon MGM Studios, Barbara Broccoli and her brother Michael G. Wilson announced that Amazon would hold creative control over the 007 franchise moving forward; the series also received a notable musical tribute during the 2025 Oscars on March 2.

Halle Berry Says Pierce Brosnan ‘Restored My Faith in Men’ While Making Die Another Day: Such a ‘Gentleman’Pierce Brosnan and Judi Dench in 2002’s Die Another Day.

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Bond fans have waited for years to find out who will lead the series into the future, with Aaron Taylor-Johnson’s name most frequently appearing in online rumors regarding who will next own a license to 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁.

“I think the man has the chops and the talent and the charisma to play Bond, very much so,” Brosnan said of Taylor-Johnson, 34, during a March 2024 appearance on RTÉ Radio 1’s The Ray D’Arcy Show. He has also suggested that Academy Award winner and fellow Irishman Cillian Murphy could succeed in the role.

There is no timetable for a release or casting for future James Bond movies.