The James Bond Multiverse
  • emilbertilloemilbertillo
    Posts: 153
    I think I'm not the only one to come up with this. I just want to be sure, and I want to know if some of you guys in here are already aware of this theory I came up with.

    I applied the multiverse theory to James Bond. See, we all know that the novels' continuity is different from the films'. And then after Ian Fleming died and the post-Fleming Bonds followed there was obviously a huge gap between Fleming's settings and Gardner's settings (50's/60's to the 80's). If Gardner is to be believed then the events of Casino Royale to The Man with the Golden Gun happened at about 1970's.

    Obviously these are two different James Bonds, but with same events in their own continuities.

    I also observed this to Benson's and Deaver's 007s (obviously). So is Kingsley Amis' and Sebastian Faulks' 007. So, being intrigued by this, I tried to do a head-count of ALL the 007s.

    1. Ian Fleming's James Bond
    2. EON Productions' James Bond
    3. EON Productions' Reboot James Bond
    4. Young Bond (just trying to be sure)
    5. John Gardner's James Bond
    6. Raymond Benson's James Bond
    7. Sebastian Faulks' James Bond
    8. Jeffrey Deaver's James Bond
    9. The James Bond from the Video Games
    11.The James Bond from the Daniel Craig Video Games
    12. The off-screen James Bond from James Bond Jr.

    Right now, these are the only 007s I can recall. But if there are some which I have forgotten, please add them. And if there are inconsistencies or arguments about this theory, fell free to tell them. I would really be pleased to be clarified about this. :)>-
  • NicNacNicNac
    Posts: 2,066
    Hi. I have moved this out of General Discussions and in to Trivia.

    General Discussions is for all non-Bond related chat so we will be trying to relocate as many on going threads as possible in order to tidy things up a little.

    It might seem like nit picking but hey ho ;-)
  • GoldenShadowGoldenShadow
    Posts: 19
    Interesting idea. I always thought that every actor has a kind of a parallel universe, in which he has experienced all the previous adventures in a realistic period. That would make 6 universes within the EON Productions' James Bond. An own Connery universe makes especially sense with NSNA. One could consider to add the Brosnan games to the Brosnan universe.

    Young Bond as well as Amis', Faulks' and Boyds Bond should be the same universe as Flemings, though I don't like that idea. Gardners and Bensons Bond are similar to Dalton and Brosnan in the EON world. And then there are lots of comics (Serpent's Tooth, etc.). I always feel like a nerd when thinking about parallel universes and continuity in Bond... :)
  • Agent007391Agent007391
    Posts: 3,575
    GoldenShadow said:

    Interesting idea. I always thought that every actor has a kind of a parallel universe, in which he has experienced all the previous adventures in a realistic period. That would make 6 universes within the EON Productions' James Bond. An own Connery universe makes especially sense with NSNA. One could consider to add the Brosnan games to the Brosnan universe.

    Young Bond as well as Amis', Faulks' and Boyds Bond should be the same universe as Flemings, though I don't like that idea. Gardners and Bensons Bond are similar to Dalton and Brosnan in the EON world. And then there are lots of comics (Serpent's Tooth, etc.). I always feel like a nerd when thinking about parallel universes and continuity in Bond... :)



    This doesn't make too much sense, though, because that would mean Connery's Bond experienced the events of Thunderball, forgot them, and experienced them again. I do typically add Agent Under Fire, NightFire and Everything or Nothing into the Brosnan era, as well. Just as I add GoldenEye 007/Reloaded and Blood Stone into the Craig era.

    As far as putting the Bond novels in continuity, I typically keep all the novels (minus Carte Blanch) in the same continuity. I tend to ignore the "time jumps", much as EON ignores the "actor jumps" between the first five Bonds.
  • GoldenShadowGoldenShadow
    Posts: 19
    Agent007391 said:

    GoldenShadow said:

    Interesting idea. I always thought that every actor has a kind of a parallel universe, in which he has experienced all the previous adventures in a realistic period. That would make 6 universes within the EON Productions' James Bond. An own Connery universe makes especially sense with NSNA. One could consider to add the Brosnan games to the Brosnan universe.

    Young Bond as well as Amis', Faulks' and Boyds Bond should be the same universe as Flemings, though I don't like that idea. Gardners and Bensons Bond are similar to Dalton and Brosnan in the EON world. And then there are lots of comics (Serpent's Tooth, etc.). I always feel like a nerd when thinking about parallel universes and continuity in Bond... :)



    This doesn't make too much sense, though, because that would mean Connery's Bond experienced the events of Thunderball, forgot them, and experienced them again.


    That's true. But the similarities aren't that big then again. Even some names are different. Blofeld could easily retry his failed nuke-napping from 1965 in 1983. Maximilan Largo could be a relative of Emilio Largo. And Felix was always a shape shifter anyway.
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 1,749
    The simple truth is there is no real continuity. It's an amalgamation of circumstances over different time periods and in different tones that deliver a more general 'Universe' not governed by time or logic. The producers (or writers) can choose to reference another area of the canon if it seems plausible but it doesn't mean all the dots are joined.
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,147
    I would prefer a structuration of the canon as they have done with Star Wars. From my point of view it could be like this:

    1. Literary canon: all Fleming's novels and short stories (1 timeline).
    2. Film canon: 22 movies by EON (several timelines).
    3. Expanded literary canon: official continuation by other writers, incluiding novelizations of the movies.
    4. Non-canonical movies: NSNA, 1967 Casino Royale, non-official Bond appearances (like Lazenby's in Return from UNCLE).
    5. Videogames.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 7,914
    I'd say the video games are in the same universe as the EON movies.

    NSNA has to be in some sort of alternate universe because like @Agent007391 said, Connery at some point would have to have thought "hey, thish seemsh really familiar"
  • 00130013
    Posts: 1,147
    @thelivingroyale thank you
  • Agent007391Agent007391
    Posts: 3,575
    GoldenShadow said:

    Agent007391 said:

    GoldenShadow said:

    Interesting idea. I always thought that every actor has a kind of a parallel universe, in which he has experienced all the previous adventures in a realistic period. That would make 6 universes within the EON Productions' James Bond. An own Connery universe makes especially sense with NSNA. One could consider to add the Brosnan games to the Brosnan universe.

    Young Bond as well as Amis', Faulks' and Boyds Bond should be the same universe as Flemings, though I don't like that idea. Gardners and Bensons Bond are similar to Dalton and Brosnan in the EON world. And then there are lots of comics (Serpent's Tooth, etc.). I always feel like a nerd when thinking about parallel universes and continuity in Bond... :)



    This doesn't make too much sense, though, because that would mean Connery's Bond experienced the events of Thunderball, forgot them, and experienced them again.


    That's true. But the similarities aren't that big then again. Even some names are different. Blofeld could easily retry his failed nuke-napping from 1965 in 1983. Maximilan Largo could be a relative of Emilio Largo. And Felix was always a shape shifter anyway.


    Assuming we're setting Connery's continuity as its own, that would mean that at some point between '71 and '83, he came back to life (Yes, I know he did that in '81 in FYEO, but I can somehow accept that easier, and I can't find any reason why).
  • AnonAnon
    Posts: 143
    I think you have to accept that each and every film has its own place in the canon of work. If a particular film makes reference to a previous outing for the Bond charcater that shouldn't (and doesn't - given the recent 'reboot') mean that subsequent movies have to maintain any consistency.
  • Smirnoff_PurpleSmirnoff_Purple
    Posts: 87
    thelivingroyale said:

    Connery at some point would have to have thought "hey, thish seemsh really familiar"



    XD
  • RC7RC7
    Posts: 1,749
    Anon said:

    I think you have to accept that each and every film has its own place in the canon of work. If a particular film makes reference to a previous outing for the Bond charcater that shouldn't (and doesn't - given the recent 'reboot') mean that subsequent movies have to maintain any consistency.



    I agree. It's not something EON consider. There is no continuity as in the Star Wars universe because it would impossible and fruitless to even attempt it. It's just an unnecessary bind and why Bond can endure, unlike other franchises.
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