Where is James Bond? Trapped in an ugly stalemate with Amazon

Amazon, creative control, and DEI

• Many participants think creative IP owners are right to be wary of Amazon, citing Rings of Power, Wheel of Time, and fears about upcoming Warhammer and Stargate adaptations.
• Some claim Amazon entertainment has a formal diversity/DEI layer that pushes casting and story changes, partly to meet awards criteria; others counter that much “DEI rage” is manufactured by YouTube outrage channels.
• A subthread argues that Games Workshop already diversified Warhammer long before Amazon; Amazon would at most accelerate that trend.
• Several note that Amazon’s DEI posture can function as “greenwashing” over what is described as a harsh internal employee culture.

State of Amazon-produced content

• Rings of Power: opinions split between “unwatchable, poorly written, structurally broken” and “flawed but enjoyable, especially S2; better than The Hobbit films.”
• Wheel of Time: some say Amazon “ran a truck through” the books; others (including self-described megafans) find it a reasonable, if imperfect, adaptation given huge page count, Covid production issues, and recasting.
• Other Amazon works like Fallout, Reacher, The Expanse, and some comedies are cited as proof Amazon can produce good TV, but overall output is seen as inconsistent and often poorly written.

Bond’s identity and modernization

• Strong debate on whether Bond should remain a “male escapist fantasy” (white, straight, hyper-competent womanizer) versus evolving toward more diverse or even queer portrayals.
• Some insist Bond must stay a British male but can be non‑white or gay; others argue race or gender changes betray an established character and should instead be done via new IP.
• There is concern that attempts to “modernize” Bond to appeal to everyone will dilute what makes the franchise distinct.
• Others argue Bond has already reinvented himself multiple times (notably with Daniel Craig’s darker, more book-faithful interpretation) and can do so again.

Let Bond die vs keep iterating

• One camp thinks the franchise is creatively exhausted, especially after literally killing Bond on screen, and should be retired rather than endlessly rebooted.
• Another camp says the formula is simple and robust; ChatGPT‑level plotting could suffice, and the key challenge is tasteful modernization rather than originality.

Business culture and rights stalemate

• Several comments frame the impasse as cultural: Amazon’s data-driven, short‑term, “we’re the big deal” mentality vs. Eon’s long‑term stewardship and refusal to let “temporary people make permanent decisions.”
• Some expect the stalemate to end once Amazon offers enough money; others fear short‑term studio thinking will inevitably damage the character’s long‑term value.