James Bond fans say franchise is 'over' as new era officially announced

A new era of James Bond is upon us, and it's safe to say the fans have more than a few concerns.

In the biggest shakeup for the beloved spy franchise in decades - possibly ever - Amazon now has creative control of James Bond. Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson - the daughter and stepson of Bond alum Albert Broccoli will remain co-owners, but are "stepping back to focus on other projects.”

What exactly this means for the character is uncertain, but Amazon's handling of other major franchises - such as The Lord Of The Rings - has not instilled Bond fans with much confidence.

"Star Wars used to feel like an event, and Disney has commodified it and stripped it of nearly everything that made it feel special," writes one fan on Twitter. "Amazon is going to do the same with James Bond. What was once a long-running, theatrical FILM franchise will now be stripped bare and commodified."

Another adds: "We used to get a (generally) very good James Bond movie every few years, but that’s all out the window now. Get ready for Young Q and 00 Origins: Trevelyan and other unwatchable Amazon Prime slop going forward."

"Say goodbye to James Bond's prestige and hello to milking the franchise to death for the content gods," writes a third.

It's important to note we don't yet know what Amazon's intentions for the Bond franchise are, and we have seen the mega corporation produce some quality viewing. Fallout is excellent, for example, and The Boys remains massive.

However, I do think it's fair to say the careful and considered approach to Bond releases we've seen over the last several decades could be nudged aside in favour of creating content. We'll have to wait and see how this one shakes out.