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This Sunday is 007 Day, for those who didn't know – 5 October now stands as a international observance dedicated to everything about 007, due to it marking the anniversary of the global debut of Dr No, featuring Sean Connery, during 1962. Imagine it comparable to Star Wars Day, minus the Wookiees and Ewoks and an abundance of tuxedoed swagger.

A Subdued Celebration This Year

This year however, the coming of the 007 celebration feels rather underwhelming. Not long has passed following the acclaimed director was announced to helm the next Bond film earlier this year, and shortly after when the screenwriter Steven Knight was enlisted to draft the story. But there’s been little to no sign afterwards about the future agent getting unveiled, with minimal clarity about the direction this venerable franchise is headed. What remains are unconfirmed reports via the Hollywood trades implying that the creative team are seeking a fairly young UK performer, possibly a person of colour yet will not be a female actor, a franchise star, or a person slightly known.

Letdown for Betting Agencies

Naturally, this is a setback for the numerous online bookmakers who have been making a pretty penny for some time through efforts to suggest bettors that the selection process is involving several speculated candidates and that hunky guy from Saltburn with Australian origins.

Going Back to Unfamiliar Faces

Interestingly, the most recent occasion the 007 series actually went for a complete unknown was in 1969, with George Lazenby temporarily assumed the famous firearm. Earlier, the original Bond certainly wasn’t a star: he performed a few minor film roles and done a bit of acting and modeling gigs in addition to working as a bodybuilder and milkman in Scotland before landing the starring part in Dr No. The film's producers specifically didn’t want a household name; they sought a new face whom audiences would believe as the actual character, instead of a star in the role.

Trying this approach once more might prove to be a clever decision, just as it was in the early 1960s.

Director's Influence

But getting Villeneuve involved indicates that there are no excuses at all in case the future agent turns out to be wooden. Dialling up the over-the-top gadgets and double entendres is off the table with a director like is a solemn auteur specializing in cinematic genres renowned for dense futuristic stories where the dominant feature is the audience’s own existential dread.

An aggressive type in black tie … Craig's debut in Casino Royale.

Updated Vision for 007

However, in many ways, hiring Villeneuve provides clear signals that are essential regarding the upcoming era after Daniel Craig. There are not going to be stealth automobiles or suggestive jokes, and it's doubtful we'll see the comic sheriff back any time soon. All of this is, of course, perfectly acceptable for those who prefer your James Bond updated for today. However, it leaves unclear how Villeneuve’s take on Britain’s suavest state-sponsored assassin will be unique compared to previous Bonds from the recent past notably if the new era doesn’t choose to set the narrative in the initial decades.

Redefining Every Period

Craig stood out at once as a new kind of stylish operative upon his debut in the franchise in Casino Royale from 2006, an aggressive figure in black tie who would never be seen in an invisible car, or using sexual wordplay alongside Denise Richards during bomb disposal. He rendered the previous Bond's polished style who only a few years previously was viewed by many as the best Bond since Connery, appear as a copycat version badly reheated. Not that this is anything new. Lazenby succeeded Connery temporarily, Brosnan followed the overlooked Dalton, and the silly final Moore films came after the intense early Moore. All franchise chapters redefines the last one, however, every version remains in their own way the iconic spy, worthy of celebration. It feels odd, during this year's the current 007 Day, that we are being invited to honor a character that is not yet chosen.