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Arriving this weekend is 007 Day, for those who didn't know – the fifth of October is recognized as a worldwide observance dedicated to all things 007, thanks to this being the date of the global debut of the inaugural 007 movie, starring Sean Connery, back in 1962. Consider it comparable to May the 4th, with fewer furry aliens and much more elegant confidence.

A Low-Key Event Currently

This year however, the coming of James Bond Day feels rather anticlimactic. It's only been after the filmmaker was confirmed as the director the future installment earlier this year, and not long afterwards since Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight was enlisted to pen the screenplay. Yet there has been almost no indication since then of the new 007 being officially announced, and very little idea concerning the path this long-running series is headed. What remains is industry speculation via the Hollywood trades implying that the creative team will be looking for a comparatively fresh-faced British actor, who might be from a diverse background yet will not be a female actor, an established star, or anyone remotely familiar.

Bad News for Oddsmakers

This is, of course unwelcome developments for the hordes gambling platforms that have earning significant profits over recent months out of trying to convince punters that it is a race among Callum Turner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, Theo James, Leo Woodall and that hunky guy in Saltburn with Australian origins.

Revisiting the Unknown

Intriguingly, the previous instance the movie franchise actually went for a complete unknown was in 1969, with George Lazenby briefly took up the iconic pistol. Prior to that, Sean Connery was not famous: he had had a few minor film roles along with some acting and modeling gigs while also employed in physique competitions and dairy delivery in Edinburgh before taking the lead role in the debut movie. Producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman intentionally rejected an established star; they desired someone fresh whom audiences would accept as the actual character, as opposed to an actor playing Bond.

Repeating this trick may end up as a brilliant tactic, exactly as it was back in the sixties.

Impact of Villeneuve

But getting Villeneuve on board suggests that there is no get-out clause whatsoever in case the future agent proves to be a stiff. Increasing the over-the-top gadgets and innuendo is no longer an option under the guidance of is a solemn auteur specializing in cinematic genres best known for dense futuristic stories where the loudest sound is the audience’s own existential dread.

A tough guy in formalwear … Craig's debut in Casino Royale.

A New Direction for James Bond

However, to a large extent, bringing in Villeneuve reveals a great deal we need to know regarding the upcoming era after Daniel Craig. There are not going to be any invisible cars or suggestive jokes, and the return of Sheriff JW Pepper back any time soon. All of this is, undoubtedly, perfectly acceptable assuming you enjoy your James Bond contemporary in style. However, it leaves unclear how Villeneuve’s take on Britain’s suavest state-sponsored assassin will stand out against earlier agents from the recent past especially if the next chapter decides against to take the whole story in the original time period.

Reinventing Every Period

Craig was immediately recognisable as a different type of stylish operative when he arrived on the scene in Casino Royale from 2006, a bruiser in a dinner jacket who would never be caught dead in a stealth vehicle, or using sexual wordplay alongside Denise Richards during bomb disposal. He caused the previous Bond's polished style that just a short time before had been considered by some the finest agent since the original, appear as an imitation Connery overheated and ruined. Not that this is anything new. Lazenby (briefly) followed Connery, Brosnan came after the underappreciated Dalton, and the campy later Moore succeeded the gritty initial Moore. Each Bond period alters the prior, but each one is distinctively the iconic spy, and worth raising a glass to. It feels odd, as we apparently celebrate this year’s Bond Day, that the occasion calls to toast one who doesn’t even exist yet.