Pierce Brosnan Has One Condition To Return As James Bond

It's been four years since "No Time to Die" hit theaters, which heralded the end of the Daniel Craig era of "James Bond." All eyes have been on who the next actor to take on the role of 007 will be and, after a long time of virtually nothing happening, much is going on right now. Amazon bought the rights to the franchise earlier this year and has since hired Denis Villeneuve ("Dune") to helm the untitled "James Bond 26." As for who will be his Bond? That remains to be seen, but one former 007 would come back if Villeneuve wanted him to return.

Pierce Brosnan, who played 007 in the 1990s and early 2000s, began his tenure with 1995's "GoldenEye" but retired from the role after the disaster that was the 2002 Bond adventure "Die Another Day." However, now in his 70s, Brosnan would welcome the chance to play an older version of the character, specifically with Villeneuve at the helm. Here's what the actor had to say in an interview with Radio Times:

"My wife Keely [Shaye Smith] and I have been listening to the drumbeat of expectation of who's going to be the next James Bond. There are many great candidates out there, and I'm sure they're going to make it a spectacle of delight. I don't think anyone wants to see a craggy, 72-year-old Bond, but if [Denis] Villeneuve had something up his sleeve I would look at it in a heartbeat. Why not? It's great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics ... who knows?"

Amazon is going to want a younger 007 to carry the torch for years to come, and it looks like the company already has a list of potential candidates to fill Bond's shoes for the long haul. But Amazon didn't purchase "James Bond" just to make one movie every few years. No, it intends to expand the scope of the franchise. That's where bringing Brosnan back could make a great deal of sense.

Brosnan may joke about being 72 and craggy but, any jokes aside, the man still has that Bond look. Age hasn't robbed him of the charm that won him the role in the first place. At the same time, if he's committed to specifically working with Villeneuve, that seems less likely. After he wraps up "Dune: Part 3," the director will be looking for a new, young actor to help set up the franchise for the future. Brosnan's return, in all likelihood, would be more of a one-and-done proposition.

That said, Amazon is absolutely going to make some "James Bond" spin-offs. It's not just going to be one movie. So sure, maybe that means we get a TV show about Q Branch or something of that sort. But it could also mean another director takes the opportunity to make something resembling "Old Man Bond" (or what have you). Brosnan is the perfect candidate for it, and it would represent something we haven't seen from the property before. What does an aging Bond look like in action?

Brosnan was in one of the best "James Bond" movies as well as the worst. His run was a bit uneven, but there is a lot of love for him in the role. Why not let him have one last bite at the apple? For what it's worth, the actor previously entertained the idea of returning right after the Amazon deal was announced, calling it a "romantic notion" while adding that "it's best to let sleeping dogs lie."

At this stage, Amazon and the producers are focused on the next movie, and rightfully so. But Brosnan is interested, and if the franchise's creatives truly want to expand the property, this is a logical way to do it. At the very least, this conversation could seemingly happen in a more official capacity. We'll see how it shakes out in the coming months/years.

"James Bond 26" doesn't currently have a release date, but stay tuned.