A.V. Opinions: Bring back Pierce Brosnan for one last James Bond movie

Hollywood loves a good comeback. Hugh Jackman returned as Wolverine for Deadpool & Wolverine. Harrison Ford put on the fedora one last time for Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. The original Ghostbusters crew reunited for Afterlife and Frozen Empire. And even Top Gun: Maverick proved that bringing back a legacy star can be a billion-dollar idea. So why not give Pierce Brosnan the same opportunity with James Bond?

Brosnan’s tenure as 007 started strong with GoldenEye, a movie that revitalized the franchise for a new generation. He was smooth, charismatic, and dangerous. He was the perfect Bond for the modern era. But by the time Die Another Day came out, things had gone off the rails. Many consider it a lackluster farewell for one of the most beloved actors to ever play Bond. It never felt like the proper send-off for Brosnan, and to this day, fans argue that he deserved a much better final film. Even Brosnan himself has said that if given the chance, he would return to the role. That’s all the more reason to make it happen.

Now, with Amazon owning MGM and taking creative control over the Bond franchise, there is a window of opportunity. While they take their time figuring out the next 007, why not give Brosnan one last mission? Imagine Bond, long forgotten and left to rot in a foreign prison. He’s been abandoned by MI6 after a mission gone wrong. He is unrecognizable, a bearded shell of the suave agent he once was. One day, an old ally or even a new young agent tracks him down and breaks him out. But Bond is not the man he used to be. He fails his physical. His aim is shaky. He’s slower, weaker, and no longer the perfect agent. But the world still needs James Bond, and there is one final mission that only he can accomplish. So they get him back in shape, clean him up, shave his beard, give him a well-tailored suit, hand him a martini and send him back into the field.

This could be a mix of Skyfall and The Rock. For years, fans have speculated that The Rock is actually a secret James Bond sequel, with Sean Connery’s character really being an older version of 007. Whether that theory is true or not, it’s fun to think about, and Brosnan’s return could tap into a similar energy. This would be Bond as we’ve never seen him before, battle-worn, haunted, and out of practice but still capable of getting the job done. Maybe it’s a full-circle moment where he takes down one last villain before walking off into the sunset. Or maybe this is the film that officially passes the torch, connecting Brosnan’s Bond to whatever comes next for the franchise. Either way, it would be the final chapter he never got.

There is no downside to this. Nostalgia-driven legacy sequels have proven time and time again that they work, and Brosnan is still a fantastic leading man with the presence and gravitas to pull off an old man Bond. Look at The November Man or even Black Adam, he still commands the screen like few actors can. This wouldn’t just be a gimmick; it would be a genuinely interesting and fresh take on James Bond, giving the franchise something unique before the inevitable reboot. Pierce Brosnan never got the send-off he deserved as 007. It’s time to fix that. Amazon has the keys to the franchise and an actor willing to return. All they have to do is say yes. Your move, Amazon.

-Brad McBoom