With Denis Villeneuve attached to Bond 26, a return to the final frontier like Moonraker is at least an interesting possibility to consider. I’d trust Villeneuve to figure out the details, but the bigger question is what a modern James Bond space adventure would actually look like in a more general sense.

A simple remake of Drax’s plan from Moonraker would probably feel out of place, especially with a new actor stepping into the role. If Bond returns to space, the better approach might be to flip expectations and set the story further into the future rather than the present.

Imagine a Bond movie 70 years from now instead of 70 years ago. where civilian space travel, expanded government missions, and corporate space exploration are the norm. As strange as it sounds, even a first contact or alien cover-up story could work as long as no “little green men” are involved.

But Bond investigating some phenomena that humanity isn’t ready to understand might be a mission worth launching.