For what seems like ages, there have been two separate, yet equally compelling questions surrounding the James Bond franchise. First, what is the future of the franchise, and subsequently who will be portraying 007 after Daniel Craig retires from the role? And second, will Christopher Nolan ever come on to direct a James Bond film? Well, now it looks like we know what the immediate future of the franchise does not hold, and that is a Christopher Nolan-directed Bond 25. The director recently spoke on the matter, squashing the possibility, saying:
I won't be the man. No, categorically. I think every time they hire a new director I'm rumoured to be doing it.
The rumor and desire to see Christopher Nolan direct a Bond film has been around for years, and this is just the latest instance of the can being kicked down the road. Bond 25's saga to the big screen has been a tumultuous one and it's still not finished. For quite some time, star Daniel Craig vacillated between wanting to return to the role and wanting to commit bodily harm to avoid it. But the actor is set to reprise the role of 007 one last time for Bond 25. The only problem is that Skyfall and Spectre director Sam Mendes will not be returning. So naturally this is where people want the long-rumoured director to step in and save the day. After all, Christopher Nolan has spoken in the past about his love for the franchise and the character. But Christopher Nolan sounded pretty resolute when speaking to BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs that he will not be coming aboard to direct Bond 25.
Fans have longed to see what a Christopher Nolan James Bond film would look like given the franchise's influence on his work. A directorial choice like Nolan would also really get fans excited about the franchise again after the just-ok Spectre. There are pros and cons to a potential Nolan-directed Bond movie, but I think many would like to see what the director can do with the franchise, so it is a bit of a bummer he will not be tackling Bond 25. Despite this, perhaps it is for the best that he is not joining the franchise at this stage.
Daniel Craig is on the way out, after which most would assume that the franchise will reset with a new, possibly much different, actor in the role of the MI6 agent. If Nolan were to hop into the director's chair for Bond 25, he would be somewhat limited by the narrative and stylistic elements already established for the Daniel Craig-led Bond films. Much like the director of a television pilot sets the tone for the rest of the series, this current run of Bond films already have an clear-cut style that it would not make sense to deviate from. If and when Christopher Nolan does come aboard the James Bond franchise, I want his full vision for the character.
Christopher Nolan did not rule out directing a future Bond film, noting he would love to. Should that happen, it would be best to do so not in the middle or at the end of a run, but at the beginning of it, like with Bond 26, for example. After Daniel Craig leaves and the franchise resets would be a perfect time for Christopher Nolan to come in and build a James Bond movie as he sees it, from the ground up. In the meantime, Bond 25 is still director-less. We don't have many plot details on Daniel Craig's final film as 007 but Bond 25 is scheduled to be released on November 8, 2019.
