James Bond 26 Can’t Repeat The Craig Era’s Copycat Trick Despite A New $1 Billion Blueprint

The next James Bond movie will likely be inspired somewhat by the state of the modern action genre, but it needs to avoid directly copying one major box office success. For over sixty years, the James Bond franchise has been one of the most enduring and iconic film series around the world. The ball is already rolling on the upcoming (and currently untitled) James Bond 26, with stars like Aaron-Taylor Johnson and directors like David Leitch being bandied about as the possible future of the franchise.

In the past, James Bond has looked to other shows and movies for inspiration, morphing over time from straight-forward spy films into blended adventures that incorporated elements from other smash-hits like Star Wars or the Jason Bourne series. Ahead of the next entry in the franchise, there is one film series in particular that stands out as a likely influence on the new James Bond that the series needs to try and avoid copying. Instead, James Bond should learn from that film but retain the elements that separate it from other entires in the genre.

How Daniel Craig’s James Bond Movies Learned From Jason Bourne

The 21st Century James Bond Took A Lot From Bourne

The Daniel Craig-led James Bond movies were more in line with the style and tone of the Jason Bourne franchise, a copycat trick that the next Bond should avoid with the John Wick series. 2002’s Die Another Day may have been a box-office success, but the critical reception to the film was far more mixed. Coupled with changing tastes in the movie-going public, the franchise needed to change. Casino Royale was exactly what the character needed, reinvigorating the series. While the film retained the sultry and slick charms that defined earlier films, it also relied on uncharacteristically gritty action.

The film removed most of the high-tech gadgets and absurd elements. The action felt particularly indebted to the Jason Bourne films, which utilized a more frantic and hard-hitting approach to combat. Daniel Craig’s Bond was defined less by finesse and had the vibe of a brawler. It lent Casino Royale an edge that prior movies had lacked, helping reorient the series. Copying the successful approach of other action films benefited the series and helped it escape the shadow cast by earlier versions of Bond.

John Wick Is Now The King Of Modern Action Movies – And Could Influence Bond 26

The James Bond Movies Have Always Adapted To Other Big Hits

After Casino Royale, the James Bond franchise attempted to find a balance between the modern approach to action and the more classically suave elements of the character. Recent years have also seen the John Wick franchise steal away the action cinema crown. That series blends a highly choreographed and brutal approach to violence with a visually compelling criminal underworld. On paper, it would make sense as a driving inspiration for the currently in development 26th James Bond movie.

Both films rely on deadly but cool heroes, often seen in a suit, taking down scores of nameless henchmen while chasing flamboyant big bads. With John Wick Executive Producer David Leitch admitting he wants to helm a James Bond film, that influence could easily alter the trajectory of the series. Plenty of other modern films have attempted to replicate the lightning-in-a-bottle success of the John Wick franchise, rarely reaching the heights of the Keanu Reeves-led series. James Bond could just be the latest example of that, if it fully copies John Wick instead of just adapting to it.

Why James Bond Trying To Mimic John Wick Would Be A Mistake

James Bond 26 Should Still Feel Like A James Bond Movie

The James Bond movies always work best when they embrace elements of other modern cinema but retain the unique identity of the franchise. Fully morphing Bond to feel like a John Wick film would potentially lose that energy, sanding down the Bond elements in the name of replicating a modern hit. Leitch’s experience helming action films does make him a solid pick to direct James Bond 26, andsome strongly choreographed action could easily fit into the Bond film. However, the next movie about 007 needs to avoid the distinctive lighting, visual style, and tone of John Wick.

This will keep it from fading into the crowd alongside the litany of John Wick imitators. Instead, James Bond has a distinct enough identity to stand out on its own. It could even work best if it takes lessons from John Wick‘s actions but is more representative of the fun and flamboyance of old Bond films. Setting the next James Bond in a different setting like the 1960s could help distinguish the film from John Wick. This could help James Bond stand out compared to other modern action films and keep it from feeling like a John Wick clone.