‘Seismic shift’: Pierce Brosnan says James Bond has lost its sense of humour

Instantly recognisable wherever he goes as womanising spy James Bond, Pierce Brosnan portrayed 007 on the big screen for an impressive seven years, taking over the iconic role from Sir Roger Moore.

But now the 65-year-old actor has claimed that the movie franchise, which made him a household name, has lost its sense of humour along the way, after it began competing with more serious action movies, such as The Bourne Identity, starring Matt Damon.

Speaking to Rake Magazine, Brosnan said: “I knew there had been a seismic shift (with films like The Bourne Identity), and little did I know I was going to be part of that in the curtain falling on my contract. I knew they had to make adjustments.

“They had strong competition and they have… haven’t reinvented it, but given it a much more muscular, dynamic twist.”

Brosnan, whose final stint as the British spy was in 2002’s Die Another Day, also admitted that he knew the franchise’s plots were often unbelievable, which has now changed with the release of more recent instalments such as Casino Royale and Spectre.

“When I played him (Bond), you have to let the audience in that this is a fantastic joke,” he said. “What I am doing here, jumping off a motorcycle and catching up to a plane, is completely preposterous. But for me you had to let them in.”

The Irish actor played the secret agent in four movies; GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, before handing over the reins to Daniel Craig in 2005.

my name’s Elba, Idris Elba. pic.twitter.com/kEyyaVg8JX

— Idris Elba (@idriselba) August 12, 2018

However the franchise looks set for another change too, as current actor Daniel Craig looks set to handover the role to another actor, who will become the seventh actor to take on the role of the legendary British MI6 agent. 

British actor Idris Elba fuelled speculation that he could be the next Bond recently, as he posted a cryptic message on Twitter which read: “My name’s Elba, Idris Elba.”

The Luther star would be the first non-white actor to slip into Bond’s shoes. While there have also been calls for 007 to follow in the footsteps of Doctor Who and appoint a female star to the role.

Are you a fan of the James Bond franchise? Do you prefer the older films, or the newer movies?