Bond fans can rest easy - while the end of 2021's No Time To Die may have seen the iconic secret agent perish, it seems the character isn't going away any time soon.
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According to The Mirror, the latest distribution deal for the franchise will keep him on-screen until at least 2037.
The deal, which Deadline previously reported had been struck between Warner Bros Discovery and MGM, will now reportedly take the franchise beyond its 27th film and its 75th anniversary in 2036.
The new agreement is noted to be for the foreign distribution of subsequent 007 films from Bond 27 onward.
A source told The Mirror: "Bond is sure to still be in rude health at 75. There will be no hanging up the tux and martini."
RadioTimes.com has reached out to MGM and Warner Bros Discovery for comment.
Daniel Craig in Skyfall Columbia Pictures / MGM
Speaking on the initial announcement of the deal, MGM COO Christopher Brearton said: "We are incredibly excited to be working with the team at Warner Bros. to bring MGM’s slate of future releases to international audiences.
"The studio’s slate of original, franchise and prestige theatrical films are a great addition to the lineup of movies that WBD is bringing to audiences outside of the U.S."
Bond 26 is still expected to be distributed internationally by Universal, in line with a previous deal that saw a similar rollout to box office hit No Time To Die.
This news comes after the franchise celebrated its 60th anniversary on-screen last year, and as casting rumours continue to play out around who will be next to take on the iconic role following Daniel Craig's departure.
Producer Barbara Broccoli stated earlier this Summer that "nobody’s in the running" for the role, and that the team are currently working out what shape the next film outing for the character will take, saying whatever it is it will be a "reinvention of Bond".
The Mirror reports that Bond producers Eon are looking to cast an actor who is younger than 40 and is over 5ft 10in tall, with the intention being that a younger actor could stay in the role longer and appear across multiple film outings.
It's currently unknown whether any actors from the current iteration of the franchise would return for more, or whether the team will opt for a total reset of the series after Craig's Bond met his fiery end.
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James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
