Can a video game Bond live up…
After almost five years since Daniel Craig took his final bow as Agent 007, there’s still no news on what’s next for this long-running franchise. This gap has had fans wondering, “Who is the next James Bond?” with old fancasts like Henry Cavill and Idris Elba being brought up again, and new names like Jacob Elordi and Arty Froushan being thrown in.
But fans won’t have to wait any longer. IO Interactive has provided a new story for Mr. Bond, this time, in game form. That said, 007 First Light, the first official Bond game in almost 15 years, has “Dexter: Original Sin’s” Patrick Gibson suit up as Bond for the newest game, providing the voice and motion capture for 007.
How does this version compare to his predecessors in other media? To give you a better picture, here’s a run-through of the actors who took on the role of Agent 007, through the years.
Ian Fleming’s Bond (1953-1966)
Before we get into the actors, we need to go back to the beginning. The original Bond, as characterized in Ian Fleming’s novels, is a very complex character. Fans would often describe the British Secret Service agent as a violent and ruthless killer, someone who would break open a plane window so that the villain would be sucked out of it.
But he is a lot more complex than that. In the books, that violent and serious personality is how he is in the earlier entries, and as the series went on, Bond lightened up and became a bit of a wisecracker, with some scenes having him making fun of some henchmen.
Something that is not as well known about the book version of Bond is how he doesn’t enjoy killing but does it because he has to. He does, however, enjoy the finer things in life, like cars, food, drinks, and women—which he uses as an escape from the horrors of his line of work.
Sean Connery (1962-1967, 1971)
The one who started it all, Sir Sean Connery defined the cinematic Bond. Everything that people know James Bond to be came from him. After appearing in two films that were pretty faithful to the original novels, where he was more serious and professional, Connery branched off into doing his own thing by the third film, “Goldfinger,” where he added more of his own wit and charm.
At first, Fleming didn’t approve of Connery’s casting in the role, but after seeing Connery’s performance, he grew to appreciate it. He was even influenced by Connery’s portrayal, adding some Scottish roots and giving Bond a bit more wit in the books that followed.
George Lazenby (1969)
With the first attempt at recasting Bond, Lazenby was able to show more of the agent’s emotional side, with many scenes showing his vulnerability. His emotional scenes were also carried by his co-star Dianna Rigg, whose performance elevated some scenes where Lazenby was a little dull.
With his film “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” being pretty much a direct adaptation of the novel, some would say that Lazenby’s Bond is probably one of the most one-to-one with the book Bond,
Roger Moore (1973-1985)
The actor with the most films as Bond, Sir Roger Moore probably also had the most lighthearted tone to his films.
Moore did more of his own thing instead of pulling from the source material, though he did say he liked the idea of Bond’s disdain for killing from the books. But his Bond was less ruthless when killing. “It’s Bond, but it’s not my Bond,” Moore says.
His portrayal was more into the charming, romantic side of Bond—someone very smooth and flirty with his Bond women. There was also a subtlety to his version, more reserved and gentlemanly, that reflected Moore’s actual personality.
Timothy Dalton (1987-1989)
After many years of Bond being lighthearted and a little too campy, it was time for a fresh take. Dalton, being a big fan of Fleming’s novels, took to heart that characterization for his portrayal—highlighting the darker, grittier aspects of the character, really making him feel like an assassin, while still having that suave edge to him. This earned the films a PG13 rating: a first for the series.
Though he was considered controversial at the time, fan consensus is that Dalton is the most book-accurate version of the character. Some say he is even the most underrated version of the character.
Pierce Brosnan (1995-2002)
Reigniting fans’ passion for Bond after a six-year gap between films, Brosnan was able to blend aspects of each version of Bond, taking Connery’s charm, Moore’s wit, and Dalton’s aggression—while adding his own suave, saying that he wanted to make Bond feel real.
Having grown up with “Goldfinger,” he was more influenced by the films than the books. But still went back to the page in his effort to make the character feel real in this fantastical world. Like Moore, there was a subtlety to his performance with a few emotional moments where he reflects on his life and what he has to do.
Daniel Craig (2006-2021)
As the more character-focused Bond, Craig’s version showed a lot of development throughout his series. Unlike the previous films, where the character development was more subtle, his portrayal of Bond through the films showed the full story—from how Bond started out as a brash, aggressive killer to him becoming an older, more experienced agent.
Like Dalton, his Bond is more serious and grounded, having more of Fleming’s tone to it while also modernizing the character for newer audiences. But in the later films, we see him grow more into the cinematic Bond similar to the likes of Connery and Brosnan, with more elements and tropes from the original films like the supporting cast and theme.
Patrick Gibson (Present)
The latest to take on the role and the first video game Bond in years, Gibson has been filling in the empty space between films, with some fans wanting him to be cast as Bond for the next film.
With him being a younger Bond who’s just starting out, his version is more reckless and excitable but still competent. Having done his research on all the books and films, Gibson has stated that his version has the DNA of what the previous versions had and shows that he will grow into something more familiar.
