Daijiworld Media Network- Los Angeles

Los Angeles, Aug 20: Veteran actor Pierce Brosnan, who played the iconic role of James Bond in four blockbuster films between 1995 and 2002, has hinted that he would be open to returning as Agent 007 – but only under certain circumstances.

The 72-year-old actor, best known for his performances in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day, said he would consider reprising the role if acclaimed Dune director Denis Villeneuve was at the helm.

"I don’t think anyone wants to see a craggy, 72-year-old Bond, but if Villeneuve had something up his sleeve, I would look at it in a heartbeat. Why not? It’s great entertainment. It could be lots of laughs. Bald caps, prosthetics... who knows?" Brosnan said in an interview with Variety.

Earlier in June, it was confirmed that Villeneuve, a self-confessed Bond fan, would direct the next James Bond film under Amazon MGM Studios. The franchise producers have already promised a “fresh and exhilarating new chapter” for the world’s most famous spy.

Brosnan, who handed over the role after four films, admitted that he too is curious to see who will be cast as the next 007. “I have been listening to the drumbeat of expectation of who’s going to be the next James Bond. There are many great candidates, and I’m sure they’re going to make it a spectacle of delight,” he remarked.

Meanwhile, Brosnan is set to appear in Netflix’s The Thursday Murder Club, based on Richard Osman’s novels about a group of pensioners solving crimes. His co-star Helen Mirren also weighed in on the Bond debate, stating, “It has to be a guy. James Bond has to be James Bond, otherwise it becomes something else.”

In earlier interviews this year, Brosnan stressed that the next Bond should remain British, even as speculation continues. Among the names most frequently discussed are Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi, Harris Dickinson, Tom Hardy, and Idris Elba.