The appeal of alternate history is how it slips a hidden narrative into real events, the kind of clever reframing that made Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds so memorable. For James Bond, that same idea could feel even sharper when applied to Britain’s own history rather than another sprawling global conspiracy. It’s genuinely surprising that the Irish Republican Army (IRA) has never taken center stage as a Bond-adjacent story, considering how prominent it was throughout The Troubles in the 1960s to the end of the 20th century (similar to another blatantly missing prominent global topic: Middle East peace).

Perhaps it has been avoided for being too sensitive or too recent, but that very discomfort could give the perfect backdrop to a James Bond movie plot, especially a potential reboot and period piece with a young 007 that works alongside his MI5 counterparts that handle UK domestic threats. For instance, a plot built around the Brighton hotel bombing of 1984 practically writes itself, with Bond uncovering a hidden foreign element behind the attack, namely illicit funding funneled through international channels to back the bomber. Although tragic, it would be a compelling story for Bond to at least partially fail on his first mission to serve as a foundation for his hardened future.

Also, since the UK/IRA conflict lasted for so long, Bond could be inserted into a decade of any of writer Steven Knight’s choosing.