As the Daniel Craig era of Mission: Impossible veteran Christopher McQuarrie has the chops to helm that change of course. Having begun in the mid-2000s, the Craig-led films bear the darker, grittier tone of their decade of origin. Now the industry has moved into the 2020s, the Bond films feel a little out of step with today's blockbusters. One such comparable franchise, Mission: Impossible, has itself undergone changes since its inception during the late 90s. After McQuarrie took over as the writer/director beginning in 2015, they've ascended to the class of the genre, earning both critical praise and strong box office numbers. To make the jump from one espionage action franchise to another just makes sense.
Casino Royale (2006) would build its success. Critics praised the film's reinvention of the franchise; out with the zany silliness, in with the brooding intensity. The film became the then-highest grossing installment.
Meanwhile, Christopher McQuarrie was developing an action/thriller filmmaking career of his own. He burst onto the scene first as a writer, earning an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Rogue Nation (2015), which continued that franchise's steady increase in critical praise.
The James Bond Series Needs To Become Fun Again
These two franchises, Bond and Mission: Impossible, followed opposing trajectories into the 2010s. While the Daniel Craig vehicles became more engrossed in grit and muted color palettes, the Cruise-led spy flicks delighted in genre conventions without succumbing to campy crutches. From Brad Bird's Fast & Furious or Mission: Impossible series.
The same reasons critics and audiences lauded Casino Royale in 2006 are also what plague the late-stage Craig entries. Though each film is well executed (including the impressive one-shot opening of Spectre), the excitement of seeing a grittier 007 had dissipated into malaise as the market has become saturated with similar efforts from other action films. To evolve, Bond must take its cues from its more colorful and forward-thinking contemporaries, like Mission: Impossible. And what better way to adopt those films' success than by commandeering their director?
Christopher McQuarrie Would Be Perfect For James Bond
Enter: Christopher McQuarrie. Though much has been made about James Bond.
And in fact, the notion of directing Bond is no stranger to McQuarrie, who in 2018 gave Bond franchise fun again.
Why Chris McQuarrie Might Not Want James Bond
Despite his enthusiasm, the Christopher-McQuarrie-to-Bond line is not without a few obstructions. The process of directing such massive outings as Rogue Nation and Fallout is, by McQuarrie's own ission, taxing; and Bond is not likely to provide him any reprieve from this stress or exhaustion. Not to mention, McQuarrie's time with Mission: Impossible is far from over, as he has two projects still ahead of him: the seventh and eighth installments, on which in addition to directing, he is the sole credited writer. Perhaps if the Bond interim period extends beyond the current 2023 projected release date for Mission: Impossible 8, there's a chance he'd be available, but likely no less drained.
Then there's the matter of expectations. Certainly, Mission: Impossible is a franchise of some repute, but few if any in the spy genre can equal the historical weight of Bond. The scrutiny he'd face in taking the franchise in a new direction would likely be greater than any he's encountered in his long career thus far, and would undoubtedly contribute to the stress he already feels in his current position. Nevertheless, McQuarrie's enthusiasm in the aforementioned interview begets fan enthusiasm that he may be the perfect choice to reinvigorate the storied James Bond franchise. To hear him say "I’d love to see a Bond who enjoys being Bond" is music to fans' ears, as it is precisely the direction the series needs as its tally of films eclipses the quarter-century mark.
