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Arriving this weekend is James Bond Day, in case you missed it – October 5th now stands as a international celebration honoring everything about 007, thanks to this being the day of the world premiere of Dr No, featuring Sean Connery, during 1962. Imagine it comparable to May the 4th, but with less creature costumes and much more elegant confidence.

A Low-Key Event This Year

This year however, the advent of James Bond Day seems somewhat like a damp squib. Not long has passed after the filmmaker was revealed to helm the upcoming 007 movie earlier this year, and even less time that the screenwriter Steven Knight was hired to pen the screenplay. However, we've seen scant evidence afterwards about the future agent being officially announced, and even less sense of where this venerable franchise is headed. All we have are whisperings on the wind from entertainment outlets implying that the producers are seeking a comparatively fresh-faced UK performer, possibly from a diverse background yet will not be a woman, a franchise star, or anyone slightly known.

Bad News for Bookmakers

This is, of course unwelcome developments for the many gambling platforms which have generating substantial revenue for months now by attempting to persuade gamblers that it is a race between several speculated candidates plus the charismatic star from Saltburn who’s secretly Australian.

Revisiting the Unknown

Interestingly, the previous instance the film series chose an absolute newcomer occurred in 1969, when George Lazenby for a short time carried the Walther PPK. Prior to that, Connery himself certainly wasn’t a star: he had taken some small movie parts plus occasional acting and modeling gigs as well as working in physique competitions and dairy delivery in Edinburgh before landing the starring part in Dr No. Producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman intentionally rejected an established star; they sought someone fresh who the public would believe as the real 007, as opposed to an actor playing Bond.

Employing this strategy again could turn out to be a brilliant tactic, exactly as it was during the franchise's infancy.

The Villeneuve Factor

Yet hiring Villeneuve on board indicates that there are no excuses at all in case the future agent proves to be a stiff. Amplifying the over-the-top gadgets and suggestive humor is not feasible when your new director is a serious filmmaker of genre film-making most famous for ponderous sci-fi epics where the loudest sound is the audience’s own existential dread.

A tough guy in formalwear … Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale.

Updated Vision for 007

However, in numerous aspects, bringing in Villeneuve provides clear signals we should understand regarding the upcoming post-Craig phase. We won't see stealth automobiles or sexual innuendos, and we probably won’t be getting the comic sheriff back any time soon. All of this is, undoubtedly, quite alright for those who prefer your James Bond updated for today. But it doesn’t tell us the director's interpretation on Britain’s suavest state-sponsored assassin will stand out from the 007s that came before him particularly should the new era opts not to set the narrative in the initial decades.

Reinventing Every Period

Craig stood out at once as a different type of elegant secret agent upon his debut in the franchise in 2006’s Casino Royale, an aggressive figure in black tie who would never be seen in a stealth vehicle, or trading sex puns with co-stars while handling explosives. He caused the previous Bond's polished style who only a few years previously was viewed by many as the best Bond since Connery, appear as a karaoke Connery overheated and ruined. This pattern is familiar. Lazenby (briefly) followed Connery, Brosnan came after the overlooked Dalton, and the silly final Moore films followed brilliantly dead-eyed and callous early Roger Moore. Every era of 007 redefines the last one, however, every version remains distinctively the famous agent, deserving of a toast. It’s just a little weird, as we apparently celebrate this year’s Bond Day, that we are asked to toast one who remains unidentified.