MGM
Given his status as perhaps the most famous spy of all time, the name “James Bond” is perhaps one of the most recognizable in the world. The name is so popular, in fact, that it’s now become both an adjective and a verb.
But what if his name was Bond, Rodney Bond? Would the character have had the same cultural impact? Luckily for us, we’ll never have to find out.
According to a new book about iconic Bond creator Ian Fleming, the character was almost named “Rodney Bond”, who was a real person who saved the life of Fleming’s brother Peter during World War II.
According to Ian Fleming: The Complete Man, MI6 superspy James Bond was nearly called Rodney. That surprising revelation was discovered in author Ian Fleming’s old papers that the book’s writer Nicholas Shakespeare was given access to.
Rodney Bond, it turns out, was a real person who saved the life of Fleming’s brother Peter in 1941. Peter, a lieutenant colonel in the British Army who died in 1971, was on a training mission in Greece during World War II. [via New York Post]
Currently, the mantle of James Bond is unoccupied as Daniel Craig walked away from the role following the release of No Time To Die, his fifth film as the legendary MI6 agent, back in 2021.
Heading into 2023, reports indicated that the studio behind the long-running franchise would begin their search for Craig’s successor this year. Some reports even stated that they met with Aaron Taylor-Johnson to discuss the role. Former Superman actor Henry Cavill has also been frequently mentioned as a potential candidate.
As for who might direct the next James Bond, none other than Christopher Nolan recently expressed interest in helming a 007 movie, saying it would be an “amazing privilege” to helm one. Given what Nolan famously did with Batman, one could only imagine what he’d do with James Bond.