With the passing of Queen Elizabeth II so did finish an era of establishment that is poised to change. Old British Empire wounds are being exposed with King Charles III ascending the throne and still mourning the former ruler. Producers are looking for the next James Bond, and with such a change happening in the United Kingdom, 007 might also shift to take a new political side, which has been avoided during Daniel Craig's take on the spy.
The James Bond franchise was already changing during its latest iteration, and when producers rebooted the franchise with Casino Royale in 2006, they took it in a new direction that wasn't so much about politics or espionage but about character. Such a character deviated from Ian Fleming's novel as the author wrote it right after the end of the Second World War and the new Cold War, which pitted the American superpower against the Soviet Union. Bond was a British spy for the 20th century, vowing to protect "Queen and Country."
Queen Elizabeth II definitely helped shape James Bond, with her long 70-year reign sustaining an establishment that continues to root its contemporary values on the monarchy as she cultivated warm personal relations across the Commonwealth. But from now onward, 007 will be serving a king who is ascending the throne amidst controversy about whether the royal family deserves a global role in the 21st century. Britain is the only Western country that still follows the long lineage of kings and queens of old, apart from Liechtenstein and Monaco. The United Kingdom might be needing a new set of values to look upon, and that means embracing and acknowledging the history of the former British Empire.
James Bond can have a part in that, as culture usually walks hand-in-hand with history -- unless producers are looking to reboot the franchise as a period piece and take the character into the past. It is already rumored that they're looking for a younger version of 007, and it could be the closest to the original story set by Fleming. Yet, meddling with politics might be muddy terrain to step on. Danny Boyle pushed to bring Bond back to the Cold War era when he was set to helm No Time to Die, but he was denied the idea and dropped as director. Bond might turn into internal political corruption, like Jason Bourne, but even that franchise did not survive in the long run.
If anything, Bond survived by his capacity to adapt, and the next Bond will be no different. He will have to embrace Charles III as the new king and the current world order, perhaps taking other issues into account, like the Russian war in Ukraine and the China-Taiwan tensions. Honoring the past may as well mean reinventing Bond, becoming a distinct character from his predecessors while maintaining and promoting the United Kingdom's roots and Ian Fleming's original take.
The Queen's passing is putting the British and the peoples from former Empire territories' loyalty to the test. Patriotism has always been a symbol of the monarchy, and 007 has likewise been a national contribution to those values, even if disguised in the narrative. Britain will be needing it now more than ever, and there's a big chance it will influence how the next James Bond will be approached, from talent selection to the character's next major storyline.