While audiences wait for what seems like eternity for the release of Daniel Craig's final outing as 007 in No Time to Die, long-running James Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson have now started looking to the future of the franchise, describing it as being at a "critical juncture". This juncture has been brought about not only by Craig's departure, but also the recent purchase of MGM Studios by Amazon, meaning the world of Bond is in more flux than ever before.

"[MGM bosses] Mike and Pam understand that we are at a critical juncture and that the continuing success of the James Bond series is dependent on us getting the next iteration right and will give us the support we need to do this," said Broccoli and Wilson.

With the Amazon deal done, fans of the iconic spy have been left wondering whether Bond will continue to light up the silver screen, or if his adventures will now inhabit our homes on Amazon Prime. Well, Broccoli and Wilson have now offered some words of comfort, revealing that "Amazon has assured" them that James Bond will continue to tell everyone his name in theaters, before offering their support of Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy's leadership of MGM.

"Our hope is that they [Amazon] will empower Mike and Pam to continue to run MGM unencumbered," they added.

One of the biggest talking points hanging over Daniel Craig's imminent departure is who will be next to don the tux and wield the licence to kill. No doubt this is the main element of the next iteration that Broccoli and Wilson are so determined to get right, with several names having been floated to take over for some time. The Suicide Squad star Idris Elba has been at the tippy top of many a fan's favorites list for the last few years, with actors such as Tom Hardy and Henry Cavill not far behind. A new name to be added is that of Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page, with bookmakers recently revealing that he is the current top choice.

Looking to the future of the James Bond franchise makes sense, as audiences may finally get to see the long-delayed No Time to Die, and thus the final outing of Daniel Craig. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga from a screenplay by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge, No Time to Die picks up five years after the capture of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, with James Bond having left active service. He is approached by his friend and CIA officer Felix Leiter, who enlists his help in the search for Valdo Obruchev, a missing scientist. When it becomes apparent that Obruchev has been abducted, Bond must confront a villain whose schemes could see the death of millions.

Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Rory Kinnear, and Ralph Fiennes reprise their roles from previous installment alongside Craig, with Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, Billy Magnussen, and David Dencik joining the cast as new characters.

No Time to Die is scheduled for release on 30 September 2021 in the United Kingdom and 8 October 2021 in the United States, after being delayed by director Danny Boyle leaving project and later by the ongoing global situation. This comes to us courtesy of The New York Times.