Even with a younger actor stepping into Bond 26, I wouldn’t rule out some sly acknowledgment of Bond’s fate in No Time to Die. An updated spin on You Only Live Twice (implicitly acknowledging the sin of No Time To Die and dealing with it head on) could be exactly the kind of audacious move that pushes the franchise forward.
Imagine a young Bond who wakes in 1967 after (I must be) “dreaming” the events of No Time To Die, shaken (not stirred) but alive, before heading off on his first mission. Normally, I’m not a fan of dream retcons and their gimmicky nature. But with Denis Villeneuve at the helm and Steven Knight writing, the prospect feels less absurd and dangerously intriguing.
It’s likely that Blofeld would be out of the picture since he wore out his welcome in the Craig era, but that’s fine. Get a new, dynamic villain and call the movie You Only Live Once.
