007 ways to bring back James Bond

How can they bring back James Bond after No Time to Die? Here are my theories of how Bond can return in Bond 26.

I think it’s fair to say that No Time to Die left audiences in a state of shock. After years of narrow escapes, James Bond met his end in an explosive finale that no one was really expecting. After surviving deadly spiders, escaping live cremation, and enduring a free fall without a parachute – not to mention brutal torture at the hands of Le Chiffre and relentless battles with countless henchmen – his exit left us with a question as big as the blast that claimed him:

How can Bond possibly come back?

And yet, come back he will.

For a moment I thought, could this actually be Eon’s final James Bond film? So I was relieved – very relieved – when those words, James Bond Will Return, appeared at the end of the credits.

But with Bond’s death as definitive as it looked, how can 007 be brought back to life? And what would it mean for Bond to return after all we’ve seen?

This isn’t Bond’s first brush with death. Ian Fleming left Bond’s fate ambiguous at the end of From Russia With Love, when Bond collapses after Rosa Klebb poisons him. And You Only Live Twice ends with him and heading to Vladivostok after suffering suffering amnesia in Japan. Back home he is missing, presumed dead, an idea used in Skyfall when Bond goes MIA after his mission goes wrong in Turkey.

So, with Bond’s No Time to Die death in mind, I’ve done some serious thinking. After discarding the truly absurd – well, mostly – I came up with a list of ideas for how Eon might bring 007 back to life.

Let’s go through the best theories and see how Eon could approach them. And don’t forget to leave a comment to let me know which of these you like best. My personal favourite right now is option 6 – although I think option 7 might surprise a few people!

001: Preboot

One way to revive Bond could be what I call a “preboot”, bringing him back without addressing the events of Craig’s Bond era at all. Prior to Casino Royale, Bond films rarely worried about perfect continuity; they had a loose flow that ignored discrepancies. There was the occasional head-scratcher, such as when Bond meets Blofeld in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, even though they’d met face-to-face in You Only Live Twice. But continuity wasn’t the focus – Bond just carried on from one mission to the next.

In this approach, the writers would treat Craig’s Bond as a separate chapter and ignore his timeline entirely, bringing back an established 007 without explanation. They could pick up where Die Another Day left off, with Bond fully formed, his past undefined, and ready for action. It’s a “back to basics” approach, one that returns Bond to the familiar, iconic character without worrying about the storyline gaps created by his apparent death. Would audiences today accept this reset?

002: Soft reboot

A variation on the preboot, a soft reboot would reintroduce Bond as an experienced agent, with no ties to Craig’s Bond. Here, Bond would exist in an entirely new universe, free from previous continuity and with no obligation to revisit the Craig era’s events or connections. It would essentially reset the character while preserving the archetype – a 007 who’s as lethal and suave as ever.

With this method, Bond would return as a fully active 00-agent, without needing to address his supposed death. It’s a straightforward option, and in many ways it would sidestep the complications of trying to explain Bond’s survival. This approach may be the most likely, as it allows the franchise to move forward without tying itself down in explanations. But would that disconnect alienate fans who have grown attached to Craig’s Bond?

003: Hard reboot

When Casino Royale launched in 2006, it reset the franchise with a younger Bond, showing him early in his career, fresh to MI6 and learning the ropes. This hard reboot allowed the series to break away from decades of continuity and gave Craig’s Bond a clean slate. His early days, his approach to espionage, and his gradual growth as an agent were all laid out with a modern, gritty edge.

A new Bond film could take this approach again, fully rebooting Bond’s character. Audiences would follow Bond through his promotion to 00-status and see the evolution of his famous traits—the martinis, the tuxedos, and the “shaken, not stirred” confidence. It could be one of the safest ways to bring Bond back with a fresh face and an unburdened timeline. But after Craig’s Bond already brought us a younger, less refined 007, would another “rookie Bond” film feel redundant?

004: Codename theory

For years, some fans have speculated that “James Bond” might be a codename, assigned to new agents who step into the 007 role. In this theory, each actor’s Bond is simply a new agent who inherits the “James Bond” alias, explaining the many Bonds and their apparent disconnects across the franchise. This theory would allow Bond 26 to continue from the Craig timeline, with a new agent taking up the title of James Bond and carrying on from where No Time to Die left off.

But there’s a sticking point: many fans feel that Bond’s character isn’t so easily replaceable. Bond’s unique history, personal habits, and relationships make him a singular character rather than an interchangeable alias. This approach could theoretically work, but it may change Bond’s identity in ways that would frustrate long-time fans. Still, it’s an option for those who enjoy theories that take Bond in new, untraditional directions. Could Eon be daring enough to take Bond down this divisive path?

005: Sequel/prequel

In this approach, Bond 26 could remain in the Craig timeline but insert new stories into the gaps between Craig’s existing films. This way, a new Bond could star in movies that take place between Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, or between Skyfall and SPECTRE. The writers would create prequel stories set within Craig’s Bond era, building on the few missions we’ve seen over the last two decades.

But this approach would be tricky. Since No Time to Die served as a definitive end to Craig’s Bond, retrofitting new stories between existing films would be like trying to wedge an Aston Martin into a Fiat 500 parking space. While intriguing, it would be challenging to balance continuity and tension in this timeline. Could the writers pull it off without creating plot holes?

006: Resurrection

One possible solution could draw from Fleming’s novel The Man With the Golden Gun, where Bond is presumed dead at the end of You Only Live Twice. Bond resurfaces in Fleming’s follow-up novel, but he’s been brainwashed by the Soviets and attempts to assassinate M. He’s foiled only by a protective glass shield that blocks his poison dart.

If Bond 26 were to go this route, Bond could return damaged, dark, and perhaps struggling with trauma or memory issues. It would be a compelling way to bring him back, allowing for a grittier character arc that delves into Bond’s psyche. This “resurrected Bond” idea could bridge the gap between Craig’s character and the new 007, with a dramatic arc that brings Bond back to life in an intense, unexpected way. But would the scriptwriters really ask us to believe Bond actually survived?

007: The return

Bear with me on this one. After seeing Bond die in No Time to Die, we cut to Pierce Brosnan lounging in a hammock. He wakes up, mutters, “I must be dreaming,” and realises it was all just a nightmare. In this version, Bond is enjoying his semi-retirement in Jamaica, where he’s sipping vodka martinis, tracking down the finest Beluga caviar, and going head-to-head with the locals in a high-stakes game of dominos.

While it may be too quirky for Eon’s taste – probably most fans too – it’s certainly a fun thought experiment. Could the producers surprise us with a callback to Brosnan’s iconic Bond?

Fan feedback

After publishing a video on these theories, the response was overwhelming, with countless fans chiming in to share their ideas.

You can read the comments here.

One thing that truly surprised me was how many people believe Bond simply isn’t dead – that he somehow survived the explosion, despite being apparently vaporised. From this viewpoint the next Bond film could simply pick up where No Time to Die left off, as if nothing happened.

But there are some issues with this. For one, even if Bond survived, he was already officially retired in No Time to Die. Felix Leiter is also definitively dead, which would leave Bond without one of his most trusted allies. And one fan comment raised a fascinating question.

If Bond survives, what happens to Madeleine and Mathilde? Madeleine and Mathilde as recurring characters seems unlikely so would they simply vanish and never be referred to again? That doesn’t seem like a good direction at all.

There was also considerable support for something I didn’t even touch upon in the video – many people want to reboot the series and set it back in the 1960s. One of the big attractions of doing this is the Cold War setting, but – ignoring how much modern brands pay of product placement in Bond films – how well would 21st century audiences buy into this approach?

So what do you think?

Could Bond pick up his old life, or are we set for a whole new start? Share your theories below, and if you’re craving more 007 speculation, don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter for the latest Bond updates!