007 First Lightdeveloper IO Interactive is taking on a task very rarely seen: telling an origin story for James Bond. The womanizing MI6 agent has been the world’s preeminent spy since the 1960s, buthe’s very rarely depicted at the beginning of his 00 career. 00 status, the fictionalized MI6’s highest echelon of field agent clearance, comes with a license to kill at one’s discretion, and is typically reserved for those in the Secret Intelligence Service with an exceptional amount of experience.
007 First Light’s Bond was finally revealedat the June 2025 State of Play, after the game was given its title a few days earlier, and previously known for years asProject 007. The trailer has it all: Bond’s superiors arguing over his methods, Q showing Bond his new suite of gadgets, both bombastic set pieces and espionage, a car chase in a classic Aston Martin – and a surprisingly young-looking James Bond.007 First Light’s version of the character is only 26 years old, which is quite young for the usually experienced spy.
007 First Light’s James Bond Is The Youngest Version Of The Character To Ever Hit The Screen
26 Is Very Young For A 00
At the spry age of 26,007 First Light’s take on the iconic James Bond is the youngest iteration, and it’s not an especially close race. The only on-screen Bond to come close to the youth seen inFirst Lightis the actor who only played the character a single time in the primary Eon Productions film franchise. George Lazenby was 29 in 1969’sOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Lazenby didn’t have any staying power as Bond, though, with Sean Connery taking back the role in 1971’sDiamonds Are Forever.
Connery is the next closest in the comparison, having begun his famed stint as 007 in 1962’sDr. Noat the age of 32. Below is a table of all six Bond actors, their first film, and how old they were when they starred in it.
32
29
45
Live And Let Die
41
42
38
Casino Royale
The first two Eon Bond actors are actually outliers, and007 First Light’s version at 26 is even more so. The latter four actors are actually much closer to Ian Fleming’s original conceptualization of the character. Across various novels and short stories,Fleming is loose with details about both Bond and the 00 branch of MI6, but the character himself is always portrayed as being in his mid to late 30s or early 40s.
James Bond Is Supposed To Be Older
00 Agents Require Experience
IO Interactive has been clear about wanting to tell a James Bond origin story, but 26 years old is still a surprisingly young age for 007.MI6’s most elite field operatives are required to have extensive experiencein the field, including killing in cold blood while on assignment. In the third Fleming novel,Moonraker, Bond mentions he has eight more years of service before he hits the mandated retirement age for 00 Agents, 45, making him 37.
Exact dates aren’t given in the novels, butthe original,Casino Royale, is estimated to take place in 1951, two years beforeMoonraker, making 007 about 35. In that story, however, Bond is presented as an established and experienced 00 – he’s long been 007. This gives Craig’s debut in the 2006Casino Royaleadaption an interesting twist, since he’s roughly the right age, but it’s the only film where we see Bond earn his 00 status, even though it is unclear how far back the black-and-white scenes that open the film take place.
A 1967 spin-off novel written by R.D. Mascott (a pen name for an unknown author) calledThe Adventures of James Bond Junior 003 1/2centered on Bond’s nephew as a schoolboy, which could enter the conversation of the youngest Bond. Fleming’s Bond is an orphan and an only child, though, so 003 1/2 can’t be canonically accurate.
Even though007 First Light’s Bond seems young for a 00,his age as a member of the Secret Intelligence Service isn’t actually off the mark. Fleming’s 007 joined MI6 in 1938, making him roughly 22 at the time. It’s unclear when he attained 00 status, though it’s speculated that the killings that fulfilled his prerequisites occurred during his service in World War 2. While007 First Lightmay be showing us the youngest Bond we’ve ever seen, him becoming a 00 at 26 isn’t entirely out of line with the franchise establishment, and IO’s version evenhas the scar Fleming’s 007 bears.
007 First Light’s Young Bond Has A Unique Opportunity
The Potential Start Of A Trilogy
Starting007 First Lightwith such a young Bond provides a lot of room for IO Interactive to develop the character. IOI CEO Hakan Abrak toldIGNin 2024 thatthe studio hopes007 First Light(at the time known asProject 007) would be the start of a trilogy. “It’s a new Bond,” Abrak said, one he hopes players can “call their own and grow with.“More James Bond gamespotentially in the pipeline makes it clear why007 First Lightis starring such a young protagonist.
The reveal trailer forFirst Lightis notably snarky. While Bond has always been known for his cutting dialog, it’s reminiscent of the more irreverent personality of Brosnan’s Bond, rather than the jaded and self-serious version played by Craig, especially post-Casino Royale. It’s a rather predictable starting point for a new Bond series. He’s cocky and insubordinate, but effective;a rather cliché route to take, if the franchise hadn’t created all the clichés.
But the important part is that there’s room for IOI’s Bond to grow, and if it takes a page from the Craig era of films and features a continuous narrative between entries (provided a sequel gets green-lit), there’s a great opportunity to write a nuanced take on the character in a medium that has largely focused on the spy-craft and overt action of the franchise. IO Interactive is a great developer to handle007 First Light, but Agent 47 from the studio’sHitmanseries is a blank slate, so it remains to be seen how effectively the writers can wield the youngest James Bond we’ve ever seen.
