In Skyfall (2012), the twenty-third James Bond film, released on the fiftieth anniversary of the Bond franchise, M (Judi Dench) quotes the poetry of Lord Alfred Tennyson before a government board of inquiry. M argues that MI6 still has a role to play in national security. Her speech is intercut with Bond himself (Daniel Craig) racing to intercept the film's villain Silva (Javier Bardem), the editing giving truth to M's words. This sequence epitomises the tropes that have characterised the Craig-era Bond, as Craig's incarnation of the character has reshaped the franchise over the course of Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall and Spectre (2015). I discuss these four films in relation to other franchises as well as earlier Bond, and argue that the Craig-era Bond responds to specific concerns of the post-9/11 period. In particular, I identify the Bond of a post-9/11 era of globalisation, where national concerns are in tension with those of global capitalism, and where borders and institutions are more vulnerable to penetration than in previous decades.

BODIES OF BOURNE, BATMAN AND BOND

The Craig-era Bond constitutes a reconfiguration of the Bond brand within a historical and industrial context characterised by ongoing franchises, recognisable brands and films that play to established audiences. Since 2000, the box office success of such titles as Spider-Man (2002–), The Lord of the Rings (2001–3), Harry Potter (2001–11), Star Wars (1977–) and Toy Story (1995–) have demonstrated the industrial logic of continuing franchise productions aimed at pre-existing markets (Singh 2014: 31). The Bond franchise's audience has been established since the 1960s, but faces competition within a crowded blockbuster schedule. Obvious rivals for Bond fans’ attention include other spy films, especially the Jason Bourne series (2002–), as well as the superhero genre (Purse 2011: 104). While Skyfall, the most commercially successful Bond film to date, grossed over $1 billion worldwide, several superhero films including Iron Man 3 (2013), The Avengers (2012) and The Dark Knight (2008), have surpassed that figure, while two of the Bourne films were among the top ten box office hits of their respective years (Box Office Mojo). The success of such films demonstrates the cinematic opposition that Bond's producers Eon must respond to.