As Amazon MGM Studios takes full control of the iconic James Bond franchise with a reported additional $1 billion payment to longtime producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson, fans worldwide are questioning what direction the spy series might take under its new corporate ownership. The deal, which comes on top of Amazon’s initial $8.5 billion acquisition of MGM (a price widely considered above market value), raises questions about potential changes to a franchise that has carefully evolved over decades while maintaining its core appeal.
Amazon’s Bond Ambitions
Amazon’s aggressive financial moves to secure complete creative control over the Bond franchise signal major plans for 007. The timing aligns with reports that the streaming giant aims to have an international theatrical distribution arm fully operational by 2026, suggesting theatrical releases will remain part of Bond’s future despite Amazon’s streaming-first business model.
However, many longtime fans worry about the franchise’s creative direction under Amazon’s stewardship. The reception to Amazon’s billion-dollar “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power” series has been mixed at best, with critics pointing to what they perceive as prioritizing diversity initiatives over storytelling that honors Tolkien’s vision. The fear is that James Bond—a character defined by a specific masculine archetype—might undergo similar transformations that could alienate its core audience.
The Untold History of Trans Representation in Bond
What many of these concerned fans might not realize is that the Bond franchise has a surprising history of inclusion that predates current conversations about representation. In the 1981 film “For Your Eyes Only,” one of the Bond girls was portrayed by Caroline “Tula” Cossey, a transgender model whose casting was revolutionary for its time.
Cossey’s journey to that role was anything but easy. In her autobiography, she details a childhood filled with bullying: “If primary school was bad, secondary school was a nightmare. I was forever getting beaten up. I was punched and kicked, and often sported a black eye or a split lip at the end of the day.”
After undergoing gender reassignment surgery in 1974, Cossey initially believed her struggles were behind her: “I imagined that, like a butterfly emerging from a chrysalis, I would spread my wings and fly. Nothing could have been further from the truth.” She soon discovered the harsh legal reality for transgender individuals in Britain at that time—unable to change her birth certificate, marry a man, or even be legally recognized as a victim of r*pe if assaulted.”
Despite these challenges, Cossey’s modeling career flourished. She appeared in prestigious publications including Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Harper’s Bazaar, and became the first transgender model to be featured in Playboy magazine.
When offered the Bond role, Cossey was initially hesitant due to the intense publicity it would bring. “Far from making me, being a Bond girl could actually break me. What chance would I have of fending off press interest?” she recalled asking herself. After consulting with a friend, she decided to accept the opportunity rather than let fear hold her back.
Unfortunately, Cossey’s fears proved justified when the tabloid News of the World twice exposed her transgender identity, causing her career to plummet and her marriage to be annulled. In 1989, she took her fight for legal recognition as a woman to the European Commission of Human Rights, becoming a reluctant but important pioneer in transgender rights.
Evolving Standards of Beauty
The story of Caroline Cossey reflects broader changes in how society perceives beauty and identity. From Marilyn Monroe’s voluptuous figure that defined glamour in the 1950s, beauty standards underwent radical transformation through the natural, free-spirited aesthetic of the flower children in the 1960s, to the athletic and boxy silhouettes that dominated the 1980s when Cossey was at the height of her modeling career.
Today, beauty standards seem to fragment and evolve at an accelerated pace, mirroring how music has moved from clear dominant genres to a diverse ecosystem of parallel trends. Social media allows for multiple beauty ideals to coexist simultaneously, with various niches celebrating different body types, features, and presentations. This diversification suggests that any future Bond films might not need to conform to a single ideal of beauty or attraction—potentially creating space for a more varied representation of Bond’s romantic interests that could reflect this cultural shift without necessarily abandoning the franchise’s signature glamour.
The Future of Bond
As Amazon takes creative control of the James Bond franchise, the challenge will be balancing modernization with respect for the series’ legacy. The little-known story of Caroline Cossey demonstrates that the Bond franchise has occasionally been more progressive than its reputation might suggest, albeit quietly so.
The question isn’t whether Bond should evolve—it always has, from Sean Connery’s Cold War spy to Daniel Craig’s more emotionally complex interpretation. Rather, the question is how that evolution should proceed under Amazon’s stewardship. Will it be a thoughtful progression that brings Bond into the contemporary world while honoring what fans love about the character? Or will it prioritize cultural statements over the essence of what has made 007 endure for decades?
Amazon’s billion-dollar bet on Bond suggests they recognize the value of the franchise as it exists. Yet their ambition to expand the IP suggests changes are inevitable. For longtime fans and newcomers alike, the next chapter of James Bond will reveal whether Amazon can successfully navigate these competing priorities—and whether they understand that true inclusion, like that represented by Caroline Cossey’s casting four decades ago, can happen organically without undermining the fundamental appeal of one of cinema’s most enduring characters.
