Masculinity in the Bond Films (2006-2015)

This thesis aims to explore the changing nature of masculinity in Daniel Craig’s Bond films: Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) and Spectre (2015), a currently under research area in the literature. My insights regarding No Time To Die (2021) are included in an epilogue to this thesis. Masculinity has been the main selling point of the Bond franchise since its first release, Dr No (1962). What changes during Craig’s tenure is that his masculinity no longer hegemonic as it does in previous incarnations of the character. Therefore, this research applies a comparative study to contrast the films in Craig’s era with their predecessors. The narratives are compared, focussing on features such as the dialogue between characters, the technologies used, the use of humour and ways in which the films use the faces of their villains to further reflect Bond’s masculinity.
In order to understand the construction of Bond’s masculinity, this thesis discusses (1) some factors that seem to threaten his masculinity, and (2) the reason why these threats emerge. Throughout the four films (included in this thesis) from Craig’s tenure as Bond, it is clear that Bond’s masculinity is formed in response to threats that address him either directly or indirectly. In this case, the threats could be initiated incidentally by Bond or designed on purpose by the villain. Those threats become the reasons for the criminal to defeat Bond. Throughout I argue that the crimes committed by the villains are motivated by a vendetta. They are all triggered by their past pain either to attack Bond himself or the people around him.