My 007 First Light Hype Is At An All Time High, After It’s Fresh Take On A James Bond Mainstay

What do you need to make a proper James Bond adventure? There are the flashier aspects, like impressive gadgets and stylish fashion choices. Not to mention, having members from the MI6 family that support our favorite 00-agent is a given. As a fan of this long-running franchise, hearing that both of those fronts have collided in IO Interactive’s 007: First Light is something that’s particularly intriguing; especially since it involves a rather novel reimagining of a classic Bond character. 

Prepare To See A Pretty Different Q In 007: First Light 

In the second episode of IO Interactive’s “Beyond the Light,” First LIght’s actors and creatives chatted up the key subject of balancing tradition with innovation. In the case of this action-packed title, set to debut on May 27th, what I feel is the most meaningful change has to come from the character of Q (Alastair Mackenzie). 

You can see why, as you read how 007: First Light’s Cinematic & Narrative Director Martin Emborg describes the role: 

Q, in our version, is a very sartorial, very stylish gentleman. So he’s the reason that the Q Watch is an Omega, and he’s the reason that the Q Car, the spy car, is an Aston Martin. So that’s a very tangible version of how these characters inform who he is.

After over 60 years, 25 official movies, and even a handful of video games, this feels like something new to even my seasoned fan’s eyes. Granted, it’s not like any iteration of Q has been a slouch when it comes to co-opting those luxury brands as equipment for the UK’s clandestine services.

However, as we know from Ian Fleming’s literary source material (and 2012’s Skyfall), James Bond is an orphan. So the MI6 family is the closest thing to blood the man has in his life. Seeing 007: First Light use that connection to inform his eventual taste for the finer things is pretty fantastic.

Further explaining this change, Mr. Emborg provided this extended context: 

When we meet [Bond], he’s a young man that steps into the world of espionage, steps into MI6, where he’ll meet the surrounding cast. The way that we work with the surrounding cast is that we’ve imbued these surrounding characters like M, and Greenway, and MoneyPenny with some of those qualities that you know from Bond. So that they can inform the character, and fans will notice, ‘Oh yeah, so that might be how he picked up his style,’ in the case of Q, for instance. 

As if that wasn’t impressive enough, the actor behind 007: First Light’s Q, Alastair Mackenzie, offered his own thoughts that got me even more excited. 

Alastair Mackenzie’s Take On Q Makes So Much Sense (And I’m Shocked I Never Thought Of This) 

Mr. Mackenzie is the fourth actor to play the role of MI6’s official quartermaster, succeeding Desmond Llewelyn, John Cleese, and Ben Whishaw’s cinematic incarnations. Naturally, as the Andor vet grew up as a fan of the James Bond legacy, he’s seen them all in action; which is what ultimately informed the 007: First Light actor’s take on Q as a “cool uncle figure.”

At the same time, in his contribution to “Beyond the Light” Episode 2, Mackenzie offered these insightful notes on this new iteration: 

First Light is more of an origin story, so we see [Q] as a slightly younger man. And we see him as somebody who’s experienced in the field. He has to kind of teach Bond how to become an agent, effectively. He’s more of a teacher/mentor figure, there’s a lot of tech involved.

Alastair Mackenzie even noted in this interview that his Q has to teach Patrick Gibson’s young Bond to use this stylish equipment, “because they’re dangerous, and he’s got to treat them with the care and respect they deserve.” If that doesn’t call back to Desmond Llewelyn’s numerous safety lectures in the classic 007 era, I don’t know what does. Which leads us to just one more thing we need to discuss, thanks to a “tasty” tease from Mackenzie’s remarks.

Q’s Military Service Is Quite Possibly The Coolest Development For His First Light Character

Perhaps the greatest addition to Q’s character in 007: First Light is his connection to His Majesty’s Secret Service. In this final handful of remarks, The Crown star brings a very reasonable twist to light that has me hoping for a Q-centric stage or two: 

Our Q has to be someone who commands that kind of respect, and has that sort of authority. He is the sort of professor, and the teacher, and the mentor. But has also a little bit of a twinkle in his eye, and he’s a friend of Bond as well. Q would not be where he is today, if he was not experienced in the field himself. So I imagine he’s got a few tasty moves under his belt, that he can bring out, if necessary. 

It would make total sense that Q would be a veteran of military service. At the same time, no previous James Bond movie has even suggested that development. Ben Whishaw’s younger reboot of the character for the Daniel Craig era seemed to stray from such a prospect even further. That portrayal, which ran from Skyfall through No Time to Die, saw Whishaw relying more on technological smarts, with many opportunities to remind 007 of that fact. 

A battle tested Q getting in on the action in First Light would be the wildest example of MI6 combat readiness since once and future M Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes) took up arms in Skyfall. Simultaneously, it makes so much sense that I’m baffled by how it was barely used as a plot point in the past. 

For the rest of what “Beyond the Light” has to offer, take a look at the full video below:

007: First Light heads to PC, PS5, and XBox Series S/X, on May 27th. Which should be a proper distraction from the fact that Bond 26 currently has no leading man, nor a production or release date. Whenever those fateful announcements land, the latest and greatest news on that subject will hit our THS’ James Bond archives, as it breaks!

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