10 Directors Who Would Be Perfect For Bond 26

The Evolution of Bond

The promise of the next film in the Bond franchise, Bond 26, has sparked many rumors about who will be involved in the creative team, particularly who will be the next director. Now that Christopher Nolan has confirmed he won’t be directing, the favorite and front-runner for the next Bond director has disappeared. Fortunately, there are plenty of other directors who are up to the challenge of taking on the franchise.

Greta Gerwig on the Barbie set with Ryan Gosling

Taking on a leadership role during a transitory period for a famous and beloved franchise is a tall order, and comes with a lot of pressure. Over the years, Bond has evolved with each actor who takes on the role of James Bond, and each era has come to be defined by something different. In the most recent films, Daniel Craig's Bond was the most contemporary yet, taking on new critiques of society and the lore of Bond as a man. Whatever the next phase of Bond has in store, it's certain to keep growing and changing.

Greta Gerwig: A Fresh Perspective

Greta Gerwig is riding high after the box office, and now the award-season success of her most recent film, Barbie. Though she has only directed three films, there's no question that Gerwig has become one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. Though Gerwig has not taken on an action film yet, she has shown how flexible she is in working across genres. After spending a long time as an actor and slowly pivoting to behind-the-scenes work by co-writing and starring in Frances Ha, Gerwig has chosen to direct stories that center women for most of her career.

Amy, Beth, Meg, Jo, and Marmie in Little Women

This is a perspective that Bond 26 desperately needs. A woman taking the reigns for the next iteration of Bond would combat the criticisms that the franchise has long treated women as an afterthought at best and as objects at worst. The last few Bond films have introduced strong female characters, like Nomi/007 (Lashana Lynch) and Madeleine (Léa Seydoux), but they still exist primarily to develop Bond's character. Gerwig would know how to implement these changes.

Chloé Zhao: Blurring Boundaries

Directing a Marvel film is a rite of passage for many directors, and Chloé Zhao brought a distinct and original style to Eternals that made the film stand out among its peers. Though part of the Marvel canon, Eternals felt like a standalone feature that could be rewatched time and again regardless of its place within the lore of the MCU. This is an impressive feat for a director, but it's no surprise considering Zhao's track record.

Chloe Zhao on set of The Eternals

Over her career, she has developed a style that blurs the line between documentary and feature, which creates a thought-provoking and meditative atmosphere. This ability coupled with the talent for directing action sequences that she displayed in Eternals would create an important balance in the next Bond film. Zhao would also help combat the Western-centric lens that Bond films often take.