Not what you were expecting, Mr. Bond...?

According to an interview with the L.A. Times, Javier Bardem is strongly considering accepting the role of James Bond's newest nemesis in Sam Mendes' 2012 untitled 23rd outing for the British secret agent, an offer reported in the rumoursphere a few days back - and the bait is a new 'spin' on the classic position.

Talking of the character dynamic of the role, Bardem says:

"They’re changing the whole thing, the whole dynamic. I’d be playing Bond’s nemesis, yes, but it’s not that obvious. Everything is more nuanced. It’s very intriguing."

Sounds like the producers are wondering how to refresh the franchise and still keep it recognisable. For instance, we've not seen 'Q' since Brosnan's last outing in Die Another Day (2002), where John Cleese stepped in for Desmond Llewelyn after the fan-favourite's death in 1999. That's practically equivalent to re-designing the exterior of the TARDIS in Doctor Who, so it will be interesting to see what else Mendes and co have planned by way of franchise updates.

The Brosnan era made a good start in re-thinking Bond villains by having Sean Bean start out as a colleague of 007 who ultimately switched sides, but even in the course of Goldeneye (1995) itself, the classic Bond Villain Antics were soon back - and were never significantly tinkered with again for the Irish actor's run in the role. Or, indeed, since.

Could Bardem be the first 007 villain to be a truly tragic character?

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Related: For Your Eyebrows Only: the 007 regulars

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