For years, rumors have circulated about Christopher Nolan taking the helm of a James Bond film, and speculation has only intensified with Amazon’s recent acquisition of full control over the 007 franchise rights. A new report from The Wrap suggests that several ‘industry insiders’ view Nolan as the top candidate for the job. However, none of the sources cited in the report appear to be Amazon executives, and some statements are largely speculative. Additionally, the rights to the franchise do not fully transfer to Amazon until later this year, leaving any definitive decisions still uncertain.

While the validity of The Wrap’s claims remains unclear, there is no doubt that right now is the best chance we’ve seen yet for Nolan directing a Bond film. The acclaimed director has long expressed admiration for the franchise, drawing clear inspiration from it throughout his career. Here’s what he has said in the past about the possibility of stepping into the world of 007.

Here’s what Christopher Nolan has said about directing James Bond

• Nolan has expressed that he loves the franchise and would do it ‘when the time is right’, according to journalist Josh Horowitz, who has interviewed him multiple times on his podcast.

• Nolan says their influence on his filmography is ’embarrassingly apparent’ likely referring to his films such as Inception and Tenet, and it would be ‘an amazing privilege to make one.’

• He has said previously with this franchise that there are certain rules and constraints to what you can do with it creatively.

• Compared the constraints and legacy to taking on Batman, where there’s a certain responsibility to doing the character right.

• Nolan would have to be involved in every creative step — including casting Bond.

“You wouldn’t want to take on a film without being fully committed to what you bring to the table creatively. So as a writer, casting, everything—it’s a full package. You’d have to be really needed and wanted in terms of bringing the totality of what you bring to a character.”

Nolan was apparently very close once already

A recent report from Variety sheds more light on why Nolan never made the jump over to the 007 franchise. According to sources, around the release of Tenet in 2020, Nolan had serious discussions with producers Broccoli and Wilson about directing the next Bond film. However, negotiations reportedly ultimately fell apart over one key issue: Nolan wanted final cut on the movie, and Broccoli wasn’t willing to give it to him.

Broccoli has maintained tight creative control over the Bond franchise for decades, successfully overseeing massive hits like Casino Royale and Skyfall. While her decisions—such as casting Daniel Craig—have been praised, they also mean that no director, no matter how big, gets full autonomy over Bond.

With Amazon reportedly paying nearly $1B to ‘get rid of [Broccoli], the path for a Nolan to get creative control has never been more clear, if he chooses to still go that route.

For now though, Nolan is fully focused on his The Odyssey adaptation.

For more on James Bond and Christopher Nolan’s upcoming projects, go check out our film section.