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This Sunday is 007 Day, in case you missed it – 5 October now stands as a global festivity honoring the world of 007, thanks to this being the anniversary of the global debut of the first Bond film, with Sean Connery, back in 1962. Think of it similar to May the 4th, with fewer furry aliens and much more elegant confidence.

A Subdued Observance This Year

But on this occasion, the coming of JBD seems somewhat anticlimactic. Not long has passed since the filmmaker was announced to helm the next Bond film in June, and even less time that the screenwriter Steven Knight was brought on board to write the script. But there’s been little to no sign from that point about the future agent being officially announced, and very little idea of where this long-running series is going next. What remains is industry speculation from entertainment outlets indicating that the creative team will be looking for a relatively youthful Brit, possibly from a diverse background but is not going to be a female actor, a big-name celebrity, or anyone we’ve vaguely heard of.

Disappointment for Betting Agencies

Undoubtedly, this represents unwelcome developments for the numerous internet betting sites who have been generating substantial revenue for months now by attempting to persuade gamblers that the competition is involving a shortlist of actors plus the charismatic star in Saltburn who is actually Australian.

A Return to the Unknown

Intriguingly, the last time the 007 series actually went for a total unknown was in 1969, when George Lazenby temporarily assumed the famous firearm. Earlier, Sean Connery had little recognition: he performed some small movie parts along with some acting and modeling gigs as well as working in fitness and milk delivery in Edinburgh before taking the main character in the debut movie. The creative heads specifically didn’t want a household name; they wanted an unfamiliar performer whom audiences would see as the actual character, rather than as an actor playing Bond.

Employing this strategy again might prove to be an ingenious move, similar to how it worked in the early 1960s.

Impact of Villeneuve

Yet hiring Villeneuve on board suggests that there are no excuses at all should the next 007 turns out to be unconvincing. Amplifying the over-the-top gadgets and double entendres is not feasible when your new director is a solemn auteur known for genre films best known for ponderous sci-fi epics in which the most intense element is the audience’s own existential dread.

A tough guy in formalwear … Daniel Craig in 2006’s Casino Royale.

Updated Vision for James Bond

And yet, in many ways, selecting this director provides clear signals we need to know concerning the fresh post-Daniel Craig direction. It's unlikely there will be stealth automobiles or suggestive jokes, and we probably won’t be getting the comic sheriff in the near future. These changes are, of course, perfectly acceptable assuming you enjoy your James Bond updated for today. However, it leaves unclear this new version regarding the stylish official killer will distinguish itself against earlier agents that came before him particularly should the new era decides against to set the narrative back to Ian Fleming’s original 50s and 60s setting.

Reinventing Each Era

Craig was instantly distinctive as a different type of stylish operative upon his debut in the franchise in 2006’s Casino Royale, a bruiser in a dinner jacket who would avoid at all costs in an invisible car, or exchanging suggestive lines with co-stars while handling explosives. He rendered Pierce Brosnan’s gadget-addled smoothie which recently was viewed by many the finest agent since the original, look like a karaoke Connery left too long in the microwave. This is not unprecedented. After Connery came Lazenby, Brosnan came after the underappreciated Dalton, and the silly final Moore films succeeded the gritty initial Moore. All franchise chapters reshapes the previous, however, every version remains distinctively James Bond 007, deserving of a toast. It feels odd, as we apparently celebrate this year’s Bond Day, that we are being invited to celebrate an agent who doesn’t even exist yet.