Bond 25: 8 Potential Directors (And Where They Should Take The Series Next)

When it comes to directors with a fantastic track record, few are as consistent (at the very least consistently interesting) as David Fincher, and 2014's Gone Girl proves that he has no plans on easing into dull territory any time soon.

Though undoubtedly competent as a director, where Fincher could really shine is in the villain category. Se7en proves that he can direct a chilling, terrifying antagonist, whereas Zodiac proves he can conjure up an unsettling adversary even when they don't show up on-screen. Often it's the case that a Bond film is only as good as its villain (which is likely one of the reasons Spectre failed in the eyes of so many people: Blofeld tried to take responsibility for things that happened as far back as Casino Royale).

With Fincher at the helm, perhaps we'd see a totally unique Bond villain, something never really tried before. At present there appears to be "sinister and threatening" or "camp and threatening". To return to Zodiac, however, Fincher has proved his ability to characterise an antagonist whose identity is completely unknown. What if Bond didn't even know who he was battling against? What if he never knew, casting an air of uncertainty over his eventual “victory”? Whatever the case, it'd be great to see Fincher try and revitalise the archetypal Bond villain.

One of the things that makes Fincher's villains so effective is atmosphere that accompanies them. Few directors create an atmosphere quite like Fincher, from the battered and bruised world of Fight Club to the grim reality of the unnamed American city in Se7en. The atmosphere in Bond films tends to be totally secondary to everything else, but giving Fincher the chance to portray a world as oppressive as whatever villain he might come up with could produce some seriously powerful results.