Pierce Brosnan may have stepped away from the role of James Bond over two decades ago, but that doesn't exclude him from having an opinion on the matter. Or, as it turns out, wanting back in.
The Irish actor, 72, recently spoke with Radio Times as part of a joint interview with his The Thursday Murder Club co-star Helen Mirren about the revival of the Bond franchise with Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve.
While musing on his thoughts on the discourse surrounding the new 007 with his wife Keely Shaye Brosnan (née Smith), he told the publication that if the Canadian director wanted him on board, he'd be back "in a heartbeat."
However, he did joke about potentially coming back as a "senior citizen," saying he'd jump at the idea if it fit the story of an older Bond, as opposed to the same slick smooth-talking English MI6 agent he played for five movies.
"My wife Keely and I have been listening to the drumbeat of expectation of who's going to be the next James Bond," Pierce shared. "There are many great candidates out there, and I'm sure they're going to make it a spectacle of delight."
"I don't think anyone wants to see a craggy, 72-year-old Bond, but if Villeneuve had something up his sleeve I would look at it in a heartbeat. Why not? It's great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics… Who knows?"
Bond. Male Bond.
Speaking with Saga Magazine recently, Pierce and Helen also both concurred that while the idea of a female Bond might be intriguing, in their opinion, the character worked best as a male.
"Oh, I think it has to be a man," he explained. "I'm so excited to see the next man come on the stage and to see a whole new exuberance and life for this character."
Dame Helen, 80, also added: "So many women have worked in that world. She's a manifestation of a reality, that's for sure. Is she a better portrayal of it than in the world of 007? More realistic. But not so much fun as Bond!"
"I'm such a feminist, but James Bond has to be a guy. You can’t have a woman. It just doesn't work. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else," she continued, also alluding to the fact that the idea of Bond is based on a much more rigid ideology.
007 favorites
Several names continue to be thrown around about who could take on the mantle of the next James Bond, following Daniel Craig, who inhabited the role from 2006's Casino Royale to 2021's No Time to Die for five films.
Some of the favorites include Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Taron Egerton, Tom Holland and James Norton, although both Taron and Tom have shut down the claims while still professing their love for the inherently English franchise.
"I really love James Bond and particularly Daniel Craig's tenure," Taron told Collider. "But I think I wouldn't be good at it, and I think there's so many cool, younger actors who would be great for it. I think it would be wasted on me, probably."