TheJames Bondfranchise is among the most popular ongoing film sagas of all-time, as the series has managed to generateenthusiasm for new installmentsever sinceSean Connerymade his debut as 007 inDr. Noback in 1962. While there have been many film franchises that simply collapsed after a few installments, the Bond formula has proven to be effective, as the series still has a very bright future ahead of it.
Hollywood has become more dominated by sequels than ever before, as almost all of the highest grossing films of a given year are based on a previously existing property. Since studios want to ensure that their franchises will continue to find success in the years to come, they oftenlook to the Bond series as a source of inspiration. Here are ten movie franchises that were influenced by the James Bond series.
10The Fast and the Furious Franchise
Number of movies: 11
The Fast and the Furioushas defied the odds in order to keep generating new installments, as few people thought that a ripoff ofPoint Breakwould end up being one of the biggest franchises ever. It was pretty clear early on that there was only so much thatThe Fast and the Furiouscould do as a racing franchise, as it was quickly running out of new ideas to take the story.
Fast FivetransformedThe Fast and the Furiousseries into an action-centric spy franchisethat was clearly working off the model that the Broccoli family had established with the Bond films. It is often said that the Bond films are alwaysas good as their villains, andThe Fast and the Furioushas amassed an impressive rogue’s gallery that includesLuke Evans, Jason Statham, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, John Cena,andJason Momoa.
Fast and Furious
9The Jason Bourne Franchise
Number of movies: 5
Bournewas a very unique spy series that was in many ways designed as an alternative to Bond.2002 saw the release ofDie Another Day, the lastPierce BrosnanBond film, which was criticized forbeing too over-the-top and silly.WhenThe Bourne Identitywas released the same year, it felt like a breath of fresh air because the stunts, emotional stakes, and emotional intrigue all felt authentic.
The Bond and Bourne films were locked in tough competition, as the rebooted 007 franchise that began withCasino Royaledefinitely drew inspiration from whatDoug Limanhad done withThe Bourne Identity. However, the Bond franchise managed to reach new creative heights withSkyfallandNo Time To Die, whereas bothThe Bourne LegacyandJason Bournewere considered to be fairly significant disappointments that did not do anything innovative within the spy genre.
The Bourne Identity
After waking up at sea with no memory of who he once was, Jason Bourne travels the world to discover his identity while mysterious assassins try to kill him. Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a character first appearing in Robert Ludlum’s 1980 spy novel The Bourne Identity. The film was followed by The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, both of which were also adaptations of Ludlum’s work.
8The Indiana Jones Franchise
Indiana Joneswas created becauseSteven Spielberg wanted to create a Bond movie, but was turned down by the Broccoli family. As a means of still satisfying those urges, Spielberg collaborated with his lifelong friendGeorge Lucasto create a new action hero that could go on international adventures, fight bad guys, and win over a love interest by the end of the day.
There are many similarities between theIndiana Jonesand Bond films, as Spielberg even cast Connery as the father of Indy (Harrison Ford) inIndiana Jones and the Last Crusadeas a direct point of comparison. The opening sequence in Club Obi-Wan that initiatesIndiana Jones and the Temple of Doomis also a fairly overt homage to the card playing sequence inDr. No.As a point of irony,Mads Mikkelsenhas managed to play villains in both sagas.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
In 1936, archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis can obtain its awesome powers.
7The Kingsman Franchise
Number of movies: 3
Kingsmanis clearly designed to be a parody of the Bond series, as the character Eggsy (Taron Egerton) makes several references tothe films starringRoger Moorethroughout the film. Considering that theKingsmanfilms are about a secret organization within British intelligence that helps stop supervillains from unleashing their evil plans, it’s not hard to see whyMatthew Vaughnis such a big fan of the Bond film.
Colin Firth’s character, Harry Hart, feels a lot like Bond, as he is an experienced spy who has a strong affinity for manners and etiquette. It’s not a coincidence that the least successful installment in theKingsmanseries thus far has been the prequel filmThe King’s Man, which dropped the references to Bond in favor of telling a more convoluted political story set during the height of World War I.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
A spy organization recruits a promising street kid into the agency’s training program, while a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.
6The Austin Powers Franchise
Austin Powersis perhaps the most iconic Bond parody of all-time, asMike Meyers’ comedy franchise rose to popularity right when Brosnan was making his last few 007 sequels. The character of Austin is literally a British spy who is resurrected from the 1960s, which lampoons how out-of-touch Connery’s version of Bond would have been in the modern day. Similarly, the evil mastermind Dr. Evil is an obvious caricature of Blofeld,a Bond villain who has appeared several timesthroughout the series.
Several of theAustin Powerssequels are direct lampoons of Bond films;Austin Powers in Goldmemberis a reference toGoldfinger, andAustin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Meis making fun ofThe Spy Who Loved Me. although there are many Bond parodies that are overtly contemptuous of the series and its success, Meyers seemingly approaches theAustin Powersas a love letter to all the great 007 adventures over the years.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
A world-class playboy and part-time secret agent from the 1960s emerges after thirty years in a cryogenic state to battle with his nemesis Dr. Evil.
5The Die Hard Franchise
Die Hardbegan as a fairly straightforward “ordinary man trapped in an extraordinary situation” style scenario, which felt closer in tone to one of the thrillers directed byAlfred Hitchcock. However,theDie Hardfilms began to escalate in tone so that they felt closer to Bond films,with new villains and over-the-top schemes introduced with each subsequent sequel.
TheDie Hardfilms have certainly gotten bigger with each installment; while the original film was set amidst one Plaza,Die Hard With A Vengeancetook place throughout New York City, andLive Free or Die Hardsaw John McClane (Bruce Willis) taking on an Internet conspiracy. Unfortunately,A Good Day To Die Hardtook some of the wrong lessons from the Bond franchise, as it mostly resembles disappointing sequels likeA View to a Kill, Quantum of Solace,orDiamonds Are Forever.
New York City policeman John McClane (Bruce Willis) is visiting his estranged wife (Bonnie Bedelia) and two daughters on Christmas Eve. He joins her at a holiday party in the headquarters of the Japanese-owned business she works for. But the festivities are interrupted by a group of terrorists who take over the exclusive high-rise, and everyone in it. Very soon McClane realizes that there’s no one to save the hostages – but him.
4The Mission: Impossible Franchise
Number of movies: 7
Mission: Impossibleis probably the second most popular spy franchise after Bond, as it is one of the few sagas that hasretained a consistent level of quality throughout. While the original film from 1996 that was directed byBrian De Palmawas a relatively small scale thriller, each sequel has escalated the stakes due to the incredible stunts thatTom Cruiseperformed.
TheMission: Impossibleseries has managed to eclipse the Bond franchise in some ways, as the films are less reliant on references to the past, and more focused on building their own mythology. That being said, it is uncertain whether theMission: Impossibleseries will end up having the same longevity as the Bond films have proven to be capable of, as it has yet to be seen if the franchise can generate interest if Cruise is no longer the star.
Mission: Impossible
An American agent, under false suspicion of disloyalty, must discover and expose the real spy without the help of his organization.
3The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Number of movies: 34
The Marvel Cinematic Universeis certainly the most popular franchise of the moment, as the series has managed to surpass every box office record imaginable, and inspired a rebirth ofenthusiasm for the superhero genre.When an MCU film is well-received, it manages to become a legitimate “event” in the same way that Bond films do.
Several of the best MCU films drew on aspects of the Bond franchise;Captain America: The Winter Soldierwas an old-fashioned spy thriller,Iron Man 3explored a supervillain’s attempt to stage a political conspiracy,Black Pantherfeatured cool gadgets and exotic locations,Black Widowlooked into the world of shadow operations, andRobert Downey Jr.’s star power in the originalIron Manis perhaps the most charismatic movie hero outside of the Bond series. However, the MCU films have diluted their impact because of how many disappointing Disney+ shows there have been, whereas the Bond series has managed to stay theatrical.
2The X-Men Franchise
Number of movies: 14
TheX-Menseries has managed toremain impervious to “superhero fatigue”because the series has been able to change up its stylistic inspirations with each installment. Considering that the various mutants that work out of Charles Xavier’s (Patrick Stewart) mansion are forced to go on secret missions around the world, it would not be a stretch to compare them to the MI6 agents in the Bond films.
X-Men: First Classis theX-Menfilm that is most directly influenced by the Bond films, as it is set during the 1960s as the height of the Cold War.James McAvoy’s charismatic performance as the young Xavier certainly has a lot of Bond energy, andKevin Bacon’s ludicrously entertaining role as the supervillain Sebastian Shaw is almost certainly inspired by different Bond villains.X-Men: First Classwas also able to show the origin story of theX-Menseries, similar to howCasino Royaleshowed the first adventure that Bond ever went on.
The X-Men franchise of films and television shows includes a variety of releases, covering both the X-Men team as a whole, as well as individual explorations of specific characters.
1The John Wick Franchise
Number of movies: 4
John Wickhaslaid the groundwork for a new generationof action cinema, as it managed to combine the influence of 1980s action films, classical neo-noirs, violent exploitation thrillers, East Asian martial arts epics, and comic book mythology. The most recent set of Bond films have managed to get bigger and more expansive, butJohn Wickfeels far closer to the gritty, realistic tone that madeThe Living daylightsandLicense to Killsuch outliers in the franchise when they debuted at the end of the 1980s.
John Wickdraws a lot from the Bond filmsdue to the memorable locations, exploration of covert operations, and eccentric villains. Both films have succeeded because they have genuinely likable protagonists; whileKeanu Reevesisn’t necessarily as smooth and collected as Bond, he does have the same goodness of spirit that made audiences keep returning to the series.
An ex-hitman comes out of retirement to track down the gangsters who killed his dog and stole his car.
