Here's What 'Bond 25' Might Be About

To call the James Bond movies a "franchise" is a severe understatement. They have been around for nearly four decades, way past the normal length of a series. Bond movies are a cinematic legacy, and continue to be so; Ian Fleming and the authors after him have been cranking out novels about the spy with the license to kill forever, so I don't think the well will be drying up when it comes to 007 anytime soon. Spectre, the 24th film in the Bond canon, opens up a whole new can of worms when it comes to the spy mythology, and so there is a lot of material for what the next Bond movie will be about — seriously, what will happen in Bond 25 is a total mystery.

Not its existence, though. Although a 25th installment has yet to be officially announced, it's practically written in the stars. Actor Daniel Craig is signed on to do two more Bond movies, but, based on his current interviews during the Spectre press tour, he seems a little burnt out on everything Bond. Perhaps another actor will take the lead. There have been rumors about who will be the next James Bond, but whether or not Craig returns, Bond will always be in our lives in one way or another. They've made 24 movies already, so why stop there? There's more than enough Bond to last for 24 more. And besides, the ending of Spectre left the door wide open for more Bond adventures. Here are things that could (and should) happen in the next Bond movie (Spoilers ahead).

Someone Important Will Die (Probably Madeleine Swann)

Everyone knows that Bond is not a one-woman man. He thrives on being a playboy. In Spectre, he falls for Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the estranged daughter of Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), a bad guy from Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. In Spectre, Bond saves Swann from a building about to blow up and they drive off into the sunset at the very end of the movie, making audiences think that Bond is leaving his life as 007 behind for a stable life. If history has taught us anything, though, it's that spies, like Jedis, can't fall in love or be attached. My guess is that in the next movie, Swann will get murdered, forcing Bond to go back into action. It's a predictable storyline, but audiences love a good revenge story.

SPECTRE Will Rise From The Ashes

At the end of Spectre, number one Bond baddie and leader of the terrorist organization SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, is seen crawling on the ground after a helicopter crash and taunting Bond to kill him. Bond refuses, and Blofeld is taken into custody. Spectre is essentially the origin story of this foundation villain, so we definitely haven't seen the last of him. My guess is that he is going to be responsible for the aforementioned death of Swann. It all fits together for the perfect sequel.

The Evil Will Stay In The Family

In order to draw out the number of Bond movies, the sequel might keep Blofeld in prison and have someone else do his evil bidding. Perhaps a family member? In the Bond novel For Special Services, Blofeld's daughter, Nena Bismaquer revives SPECTRE, so a villainess in the movie sequel may be in order.

Belucci And Bautista Will Return

Monica Belucci only appears in the movie for a hot minute, which is a total disservice to the audience. The world needs to see more of her in the sequel. And then there's Dave Bautista, who plays the token henchman, Mr. Hinx, and has all of one line — because he's the "muscle" of the movie. He doesn't need to speak. He "dies" at the hands of Bond during the film, but his dead body is never shown. I'm sure he'll resurface in the sequel.

The Double-0 Program Will Come Back

Throughout Spectre, we learn that the Double-0 program is being dissolved (thanks to Blofeld), but at the end of the movie, it's clear that it isn't really going anywhere. That means we'll see more of Bond's buddies, M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw), and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) — and that is fine by me.

There are plenty of possibilities for the sequel. and no matter what happens, it's clear the next movies will be plenty of fun. In an interview with Bustle, Daniel Craig says, "Now there are 20-30 action movies a year... and somehow Bond remains an event. It’s sort of mythical. They’re fun, they’re huge, they’re fantasies and we do all sorts of wonderfully silly things in the movie." So, filmmakers, you have plenty of reasons to keep going — now get to work on Bond 25, please.

Check out the video below to see Bustle's Kelsea Stahler talk to Craig about the franchise's future:

Additional reporting by Kelsea Stahler

Images: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., Danjaq, LLC, and Columbia Pictures Industries; Giphy