Referring to James Bond as a “character of folklore” in the wake of No Time to Die is understandable, but it also signals a subtle shift in how the character is perceived. When Steven Knight uses that term while discussing Bond 26 earlier in the year in an interview with Radio Times, it reflects the reality that 007 now exists in a cycle of death and narrative rebirth. That may be structurally necessary for the franchise moving forward, but in my eyes, it’s a big disappointment.

Part of Bond’s enduring appeal has always been his grounded invincibility since he’s not a superhero with super powers, but a highly skilled man operating in a heightened yet recognizably human world. By allowing James Bond to die as he did in No Time To Die, the franchise edges closer to the logic of modern cinematic universes where continuity bends and consequences rarely hold.

That shift risks diluting and abstracting the James Bond character, unfortunately. No matter the Bond movie, I think of Bond as a man in action at present, not some mythic legend in retrospect.