Who should be the next James Bond? Obviously, an actor who's got the ’balls’ of Sean Connery!

First of all, why should the next James Bond film have to meet the demands of the 'woke' community? According to them, the successor to Daniel Craig should be (even) softer, more vulnerable, more woman-friendly and more empathetic. And of course, the new Bond should have a darker skin color. In fact, according to some 'Wokers', it would even be a good idea to introduce a female Bond. The so-called 'Jane Bond'.

In general, I share some of the views of 'Wokers' but I fear that the successful formula of the James Bond films will meet a hard or soft death with the proposed changes. The British writer Ian Fleming wrote the Bond series in the fifties and sixties of the last century. It was the time of the Cold War - the Cuban Missile Crisis for example - and the United Kingdom had not yet been completely decimated as a former world power. Espionage activities had been - massively - common since the Second World War, which gave Fleming the idea to write stories about this subject with the hero James Bond - code 007 - in the leading role.

This was still a time when women's emancipation was on the backburner and sexism was largely accepted. Fleming adorned his stories with a creamy British colonial sauce, probably out of nostalgia. Like France, the United Kingdom became a world power A.D. (in German language ’Ausser Dienst’ either ’out of service’...) after the Second World War, while that was not yet completely clear at the beginning of the war. In 1940, Fleming was a member of naval intelligence and was involved in numerous secret operations. The most imaginative was when Fleming, in 1944, took charge of a unit that had to kidnap German atomic scientists (the Americans were very interested in their knowledge at the time). So it is not surprising that imaginative spy stories emerged from Fleming's brain.

The above is the context in which we must see the figure of James Bond. The film adaptations were all a great box office success, viewers marveled at the gentleman Bond, who was at the same time a cold killer and a - sometimes brutal - womanizer. For years, the rights to produce Bond films were held by producers Harry Salzman, Albert R. Broccioli, and later his daughter Barbara Broccoli. But since 2021, film studio MGM - which is owned by Amazon - has owned 50% of the rights to Bond films and perhaps that is the reason why no new Bond film has been released since then. It can be assumed that there is a considerable discussion about which direction the format should take.

The Broccolis have made quite a few changes to the original Bond style over the years, and I fear that the late Fleming would not have been too thrilled about this. Bond already had female 00-agents - sometimes even of color - he showed more of his emotional side, he was called a 'sexist cold war dinosaur' by his boss 'M', and regrettably, he 'fell in real love' with types like like Vesper Lynd and Madeleine Swann. Regrettably ? Yes, as far as I'm concerned, I actually think it’s a must that 007 represents the figure as Fleming described him (of course, as a teenager I devoured the Bond books several times). Bond as a dry Martini-drinking Englishman in a (white) tuxedo with a cigarette casually in his right hand has to be maintained until the end of time as far as I'm concerned. Unfortunately the point of no return in the format of the Bondmovies has already been passed….

Oh, you think I'm a Dinosaur too? What nonsense, Bond is a fantasy figure created by a colonial-minded Englishman who doesn't need to change. Yet many 'woke critics' think that Bond has to keep up with the times, he/she should promote inclusivity, show respect for women, and he should abandon his brutal insensitivity. Why should a caricature from Fleming's books in a 1950s/1960s setting now serve as a role model for society? What on earth is this about? Incidentally, have those 'Wokers' ever seen a film from the John Wick sequel? In all 4 parts there is excessive violence and the fantasy figure John Wick (Keanu Reeves) is a warrior who pursues his goal without showing much emotion. Why has there never been any outcry against this film series, Wick could have shown some softer behavior long ago, could’nt he? And shouldn't Michael Corleone have distanced himself from his vendetta behavior a little earlier in the third edition of The Godfather and asked his wife Kay (Diane Keaton) for forgiveness on his knees? And why does Lector Hannibal (Anthony Hopkins) always have to be so murderous, he could have shown some remorse at some point for his horrible murders.

No, these fictional characters are not forced to do anything else. They were created by writers at one point and afterwards we could see them on a large screen. Michael Corleone may not have hit women (or almost), but he completely excluded his own wife from his 'business' activities. That just can't be done anymore in today's 'woke' times, can it? Equal partners discuss their business and personal troubles openly, don't they? The question is why James Bond has to meet certain (new) social norms and values. The reason is probably the huge film success; citizens of all kinds - all over the world - buy a cinema ticket to see the hero 007 on the big screen. From miners to professors and from spot welders to CEO’s. And from the shop lady to Kamala Harris….

The caricature James Bond appeals to citizens from all segments of society, which other film format can show the same result? That's why the James Bond character is such a hot issue. Everyone wants to identify with the fantasy hero and mold him (and maybe her...) a bit according to his/her ideal image. That's fine, but Barbara Broccoli and her colleagues shouldn't be swayed by well-meaning advice. If James Bond becomes an even softer egg in the next film, many Bond fans will definitely lose interest. But I have another prediction: even those who want to make Bond more 'woke' will eventually be disappointed. Why? Because worldwide the following statement is very true: 'left-wing girls get turned on by right-wing talk'.

So? The next 007 shouldn't be a copy of Sean Connery - he was the authentic Bond - but as far as I'm concerned, he should have physical and mental similarities. So that the 'left-wing girls' never will skip a Bond movie in the future. And neither will I...