Pierce Brosnan hasn't ruled out a return to the world of Bond, James Bond. Speaking with GQ, the actor, who portrayed 007 from 1995 to 2002, was asked about the franchise, following its move to Amazon MGM Studios. "Of course, people ask about Bond – 'would you?' and whatever – but that's another man's job," Pierce, 72, said. "But the possibilities of working within that film, entertaining… So it's going to be exciting to see what happens. I think everything changes, everything falls apart, so you just sit back and enjoy it all."
Confronted with the possibility of playing a retired agent, rather than the titular character, Pierce teased: "Sometimes you entertain it and sometimes you just move on." The Hollywood heavyweight, who helmed four Bond films – GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002) – appears to have an open mind when it comes to 'Bond 26'.
During an interview with Radio Times in August, Pierce admitted that he was tempted by the idea of working with esteemed filmmaker Denis Villeneuve on Bond, given his involvement as director. "My wife Keely [Shaye Smith] and I have been listening to the drumbeat of expectation of who's going to be the next James Bond," Pierce said. "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?"
Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of James Bond
Pierce held an impressive seven-year tenure as James Bond, after taking the baton from Timothy Dalton, and making his debut as the suave and sophisticated spy in 1995's GoldenEye. Over the next few years, the father of five would appear alongside major movie stars, including Judi Dench, Sean Bean, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher and Halle Berry, while watching the franchise secure one commercial hit after another. In fact, Pierce was hoping to shoot a fifth instalment when Bond producers, Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, decided to take the character in a new direction.
While the Irish actor was largely credited with revitalising the franchise, Die Another Day (2002) would mark Pierce's fourth and final outing as 007 – a decision which was shared with him in a phone call in 2004. "I was utterly shocked and just kicked to the kerb with the way it went down," Pierce previously said of his conversation with Michael and Barbara.
Speaking with The Guardian in 2020, however, the MobLand star noted that he had "no regrets" about his time as Bond. "There's no regret," he told the publication. "I do not let regret come into my world … It just leads to more misery and more regrets.
"Bond is the gift that keeps giving and has allowed me to have a wonderful career," he continued. "Once you're branded as a Bond, it's with you forever, so you better make peace with it and you'd better understand that when you walk through those doors and pick up the mantle of playing James Bond."