I’m firmly in the camp that wants Bond 26 to prioritize practical stunt work whenever possible. Casino Royale‘s record-setting Aston Martin rollover remains an all-time action moment precisely because it was real, while Spectre‘s massive desert explosion showed the impact practical effects can still have on screen. Practical stunts also tend to age far better, giving action scenes a certain authenticity that is difficult to replicate digitally. No Time to Die certainly looked impressive, but as was outlined in a recent r/JamesBond reddit thread on the subject, the amount of special effects work that supplemented many sequences beyond the stunts themselves was surprising.

With director Denis Villeneuve coming off the visually spectacular Dune films, it’ll be interesting to see whether he leans further into digital spectacle or lets practical sequences take center stage. Or will writer Steven Knight steer Bond 26 toward a more character-driven, Peaky Blinders-esque statement piece with minimal fanfare?