Throughout the Bond movies, 007’s dynamic with Miss Moneypenny has evolved from playful flirtation to something far more charged. Most notably, in Skyfall their intimacy boils over and is heavily implied, but is then abruptly walked back in Spectre when we see Bond call and interrupt Moneypenny’s sleep with a man in her apartment after the Spectre meeting.

Rather than perpetually keeping Moneypenny on the sidelines, it’s an interesting prospect to commit Moneypenny as a full-fledged romantic lead. A reboot offers the perfect opportunity to reframe their bond (pun intended), perhaps rooted in a watershed shared mission, near tragedy, or formative relationship that explains their lifelong connection.

Such a scenario would add emotional depth and narrative continuity far beyond yet another disposable love interest, grounding Bond’s relationship with Moneypenny in a shared history rather than brief, interchangeable romance. A long-term emotional anchor like Miss Moneypenny is a retcon I can get behind. Compared to shock tactics like, ahem, killing James Bond, this approach could finally give meaningful context to his long-running, romantically charged dynamic with Miss Moneypenny.