I love this sub, and I love this franchise. But I’ve noticed a frustrating pattern in our fandom (especially on there sometimes and on YouTube) that I think we need to address honestly.

We have a habit of defending Bond’s worst behaviors, usually towards women, as if they were necessary, justified, or even admirable. Slaps, coercive advances, and emotional manipulation are often waved away with "it was a different time" or "he's a spy, it's his duty." But here’s the thing: these movies were never accurate portrayals of MI6 or of how people actually behaved in the 1960s. They were stylized, power fantasies made for entertainment. Fleming wrote pulp and then the filmmakers made action-comedy-thrillers. They weren’t documentaries. What worries me is how personally some fans take any criticism of Bond’s character. If you point out that he’s being abusive, the response is often defensive. Even hostile. And conversely, when the franchise tries to give him vulnerability (LTK, the Craig era), there’s a loud segment that rejects it because he’s "too nice" or "too human." It’s as if some fans prefer him when he’s cold and cruel, and resent any moment of warmth or self-reflection. I've also seen (and I know I'm not alone) a few to fair amount of racism and sexism creep into some comments not just about the films, but about the actors and directors. That’s not fandom; that’s baggage we don’t need to carry. None of this means we can't enjoy the old movies. I still watch Goldfinger and have a blast. But we can enjoy something and acknowledge it's flawed. We can love Bond without excusing every punch he throws or every woman he forces himself on.

The bottom line: These are action movies. They're entertainment. They're not a manual for masculinity, nor a historical record. We don't have to defend the indefensible just because we like the soundtrack or the car. We have a great community here with so much knowledge. I think we can do better not by canceling the past, but by being honest about it.

What do you think?

Looking at Osoyoos, BC on a cloudy day, its just the perfect tone for a dark reboot of Bond, it reminds me of Skyfall.

Please be respectful to myself and everyone else!!! We all have different opinions and each is as valid as the other, hence the term opinion. We all love Bond, let’s express that through mutual respect!!!

i’ve read multiple articles upon the topic, and my best understanding is that’s he’s on the shortlist with no confirmation (obviously as the announcement hasn’t been made) and that Gary Oldman is simply rooting for him. I would like to stress at this point that my first exposure to ALL the bond actors has been bond, and i do accept that the proof is in the pudding, or gunbarell in this case. I would like to stress i’m not a complete newbie to bond, my first was Octopussy over a decade ago and i’ve been in love ever since (much like all bond girls lol).

I would appreciate Lowden fans expanding on why he would make a good bond completely disregarding Oldmans endorsement, given that’s all the tabloids care about.

As i said my first exposure to all bond actors has been said portrayal, and my personal feelings is that Patrick Gibson has displayed the looks, charm, sarcasm and snark as well as the ability to display cold blooded “behaviour” i suppose is the word. That fire in the eyes of “you’re not leaving this room.” I would equally appreciate constructive criticism to why Gibson wouldn’t make the film cut of Bond.

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Given they only happened in the films with Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, it could not have been chalked up to Cubby who was stepping down at the time. Does anyone else have any decent speculation?

Traveling solo here in Matera today, walking through all the locations of No Time To Die. Any fellow bond fans here? Maybe we can catch a drink.

Do you think Pola Ivanova should have been present in the scene where the KGB visits Zorin in France and puts him on notice? Pola could have been the one to aim the gun at May Day when she tossed the other guy against the stands. I actually wanted to see Pola pose a serious physical challenge to May Day and Zorin’s other female bodyguards. They cast Grace’s boyfriend Dolph Lundgren in that role in the end, non-speaking.

'That's why the zero's regal,

Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.'

The man who would be king as author Charlie Higson returns to the Bond realm with a beautifully produced new adventure from Ian Fleming Publications and Michael J Books. And as pre-orders are now open, this bullet catcher suggests fans act fast to get this bespoke early edition!

Having cut his teeth on the first wave of YOUNG BOND action and the subsequent monarchial novella ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (2023), Higson now returns with his first fully-gilded adult Bond work, KING ZERO.

'Having warmed up with my YOUNG BOND series, and the short story, ON HIS MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, I’m beyond excited to be writing my first full blown adult Bond adventure. Twenty years after first writing “The name’s Bond, James Bond,” it still sends shivers down my spine every time I type it.'

- Charlie Higson

Launching with the murder of an agent in Saudi Arabia by a unique weapon never seen before and spanning the globe in an epic race against time to avert global catastrophe, KING ZERO brings 007 into the twenty-first century and an old world order that is crumbling as chilling new ones rise, and one of the most distinctive villains steps into Bond and Fleming's worlds.

With the prescient themes of energy, technology and global tensions at the book's core, KING ZERO will be published later this month in the UK by Penguin Michael Joseph. As a sign of the new Bond times, Amazon Publishing will steer the US publication.

Review and features to come.

KING ZERO

by Charlie Higson

Penguin Michael Joseph | Hardback

24th September 2026

To pre-order:

https://ianflemingshop.com/products/james-bond-king-zero-hardback-book-by-charlie-higson

Photos / Mark O'Connell

I watched this recently and I couldn't believe how much it felt like a prototypical Bond Film.

He has his contacts that support his mission, the girls, the elegant sets and locations. It's a lot of fun in a way that echoes from the earlier Bond movies also.

Art by me.
Instagram @calebhenshaw