Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies shouldn’t have waited so long to introduce Q — and Bond 26 should avoid making the same mistake when it reboots the franchise. The Craig era of the Bond series had most of 007’s usual supporting cast from the very beginning. Casino Royale had Judi Dench as M and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter. But there was one key player missing: the MI6 quartermaster, Q. Q was eventually introduced in Craig’s third movie, Skyfall, played by Ben Whishaw. But it was odd that it took three movies to bring him in.
Bond 26 will be a true fresh start. Bond has been rebooted before, pretty much every time a new actor took the role, but this time, it’s different. Bond 26 will be the first Bond movie since 007’s first official on-screen death in No Time to Die, and it’ll be the first Bond movie since Amazon acquired the franchise. When Bond 26 reboots the property, it should bring in Q right away, rather than waiting a couple of movies like Craig’s films did. Q is a staple of the Bond mythos and he deserves to be there from the jump.
Casino Royale & Quantum Of Solace Cut Q To Underline The Daniel Craig Era’s Grounded Approach
There Wasn’t Much Room For Gadgets In The Gritty Reboot
In the typical Bond movie formula, Bond pays a visit to the Q Branch before going off on his mission. Q will show him a handful of new gadgets he’s created, like a pen grenade or a remote-control car, and later in the movie, those gadgets will provide Bond with the perfect get-out-of-jail-for-free card when he’s in life-threatening danger. It’s always been a fun staple of the Bond mythos. But since Eon set out to give Casino Royale the grounded, gritty realism of the Bourne franchise, they decided to do without Q and his far-fetched spy gadgets.
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10 Bond Gadgets That Wouldn’t Have Worked In Daniel Craig’s Era
Daniel Craig’s 007 era was known for being more gritty and realistic, and there are certain Bond gadgets that wouldn’t have worked with his style.
The gritty realism rolled into Craig’s second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, which is more of a generic action thriller than a true Bond adventure. Bond goes after an oil tycoon and, once again, Q’s goofy gadgets are nowhere to be seen. Q’s absence helped to underline the grounded, semi-realistic approach to Craig’s films, but it also meant that a key piece of the franchise mythology was missing. Q was finally introduced as a fresh-faced new recruit in Skyfall, which highlighted just how much he was missed in the previous two movies.
Bond 26 Needs Q Right From The Start – Just Look At Daniel Craig & Ben Whishaw’s Awesome Partnership
Craig & Whishaw’s Chemistry Was Endlessly Endearing
Bond 26 shouldn’t hold off on introducing Q — he needs to be there right from the get-go. Q is a hilarious foil for Bond; it’s always a joy to contrast the suave, brutish killer with the stuffy intellectual. Q can outsmart Bond, but Bond can out-cool Q. Craig’s endearing on-screen chemistry with Whishaw is irrefutable evidence of what a fun character pairing they are. Craig’s Bond often had a wry, insulting one-liner for Whishaw’s Q, and Whishaw’s Q always had the perfect rebuttal. And underneath all the bickering, they really came to care about each other.
Q was initially introduced as Major Boothroyd in
Dr. No
.
And it’s not just the character dynamic that makes including Q a must for Bond 26; he facilitates a great plant-and-payoff, too. It’s a classic running gag to plant a Q gadget early in the movie that would only apply to a very specific situation, then pay it off by putting Bond in exactly that situation later in the movie. After the gritty realism of the Craig era, Bond 26 should go the other way with a wacky, tongue-in-cheek approach more in line with the Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan movies.
How Bond 26 Can Update Q For A New Era Of 007
The Gadgets Don’t Have To Be So Far-Fetched
Bond 26 can update the classic Q character for a new era of the franchise. A lot of Q’s gadgets from the older films eventually got invented in the real world, so a new version of Q would have to stay one step ahead of reality. The Bond movies are pure escapism, and part of that escapism is seeing futuristic gadgets that audiences can only imagine in the real world. With real-life advances in technology, a new take on Q could either keep up with modern tech or go beyond it to create even more advanced gear.
With real-life advances in technology, a new take on Q could either keep up with modern tech or go beyond it to create even more advanced gear.
Skyfall proved that Q’s gadgets don’t have to be too far-fetched. In that movie, he gives Bond a handgun that’s coded specifically to his fingerprints, which saves him when someone else gets a hold of his gun and tries to shoot him with it. That’s not too far outside the realm of possibility, but it’s still a gimmicky spy gadget from James Bond’s heightened reality.
James Bond
The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond’s mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.
