James Bond fans will have to wait a long time before they can swoon over action sequences, Aston Martins, and a brand new 007 in the franchise’s 26th instalment.

The production stage of the next Bond film is at least two years away, franchise producer Barbara Broccoli told Deadline on Wednesday, adding that “nobody’s in the running,” to succeed Daniel Craig, who completed his five-film run with ‘No Time to Die’ last year.

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“We’re working out where to go with him, we’re talking that through. There isn’t a script and we can’t come up with one until we decide how we’re going to approach the next film because, really, it’s a reinvention of Bond. We’re reinventing who he is and that takes time. I’d say that filming is at least two years away,” Broccoli revealed.

As disheartening as it may be, the news does not come as a surprise. It took four years for the franchise’s makers to launch Craig in ‘Casino Royale’ after Pierce Brosnan bowed out with ‘Die Another Day’ in 2002.

From Idris Elba to Regé-Jean Page, there’s a long list of Craig’s potential replacements. However, Broccoli has emphasized that the hunt for the next Bond has not begun yet. During a press tour for ‘No Time to Die’ in 2021, the producer said that the search would not start until the end of 2022. 

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When the search concludes, the next Bond will not only have all eyes on him, but all expectations as well, thanks to Daniel Craig, who has left behind five blockbuster films, including ‘Skyfall’, which earned more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office, and ‘Spectre’, which made $880 million globally.

“It’s a big decision,” Broccoli told Variety earlier this year. 

“It’s not just casting a role. It’s about a whole rethink about where we’re going,” she added.