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The list that almost changed everything
Pixar was the spark. After Disney closed that deal, former CEO Bob Iger describes the feeling as transformative: "It was like the clouds lifted and the sun started to shine again. We felt unstoppable." What followed was a shopping list that reads like a pop culture fever dream: Marvel, Star Wars, and right there alongside them, James Bond.
"We put together a list of acquisition targets," Iger has said. "Marvel was one, Star Wars was another, James Bond was one. We had a list and I figured let's just tick them off and buy them all."
Two out of three isn't bad. But the Bond one got away.
How Amazon beat Disney to 007
Rumors about a potential Disney acquisition of the Bond franchise surfaced around 2017, with Iger reportedly signaling intent as late as 2019. For years, the situation stayed murky. The Broccoli family, through their production company Eon Productions, had held creative control over Bond for decades and were famously protective of the franchise's identity.
Then came the 2025 announcement that shifted everything. Longtime producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli sold creative control to Amazon for a reported $20 million, though industry speculation put the actual figure considerably higher. The deal handed Amazon the keys to one of cinema's most valuable franchises, and it happened fast enough that Disney never got a second shot.
Here's the thing: Broccoli was reportedly unhappy with Amazon's vision almost immediately. Plans allegedly included expanding Bond into a full cinematic universe, with a Moneypenny prequel spin-off among the ideas floated. For a franchise that had spent 60-plus years resisting exactly that kind of expansion, it was a jarring shift.
What Amazon is building with Bond now
Despite the rocky start, the project has since attracted serious talent. Denis Villeneuve, the director behind Dune and Blade Runner 2049, is attached to helm the next Bond film. Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders, is writing the script. Casting is underway, with the Game of Thrones casting director leading the search for the next 007.
That's a genuinely impressive creative team. If you're a Bond fan, the pedigree here is hard to dismiss, whatever you think about Amazon's ownership.
For gamers, the Bond universe is already expanding in interesting ways. IO Interactive's 007 First Light launched earlier this year to strong reception, though IO confirmed it won't publish future Bond games despite the game's success, with Amazon making clear who controls the IP. You can check out the full 007 First Light voice cast if you want the complete picture on who's bringing this new Bond to life, or browse the 007 First Light vehicle list for everything from Aston Martins to armed boats.
What a Disney Bond universe might have looked like
It's worth sitting with the alternate timeline for a moment. Disney with Bond would have meant Bond inside the same corporate umbrella as the MCU and Lucasfilm. The crossover potential alone would have sent the internet into orbit, though whether that's a good thing depends entirely on your feelings about franchise consolidation.
Disney's track record with acquired properties is genuinely mixed. Marvel has delivered some of the highest-grossing films ever made. Star Wars has had more turbulent years, with fan reception to the sequel trilogy and several streaming projects ranging from enthusiastic to openly hostile. Bond under Disney could have gone either way, but Iger's stated philosophy of "buy them all" suggests the priority was IP ownership, not necessarily creative stewardship.
Amazon's approach, for all its friction with Broccoli, at least landed Villeneuve and Knight. That's not nothing.
For more on everything gaming and entertainment, our guides hub has you covered as the Bond gaming universe continues to expand alongside the film franchise.
