IO Interactive’s upcoming007 First Lighthas introduced a character unfamiliar to the largerJames Bondfranchise: Greenway, portrayed by Lennie James. Greenway has immediately drawn comparisons to Ralph Fiennes' Mallory, introduced inSkyfall, and according to James, that’s not far off.
In an exclusive interview withScreen Rant, Lennie James was asked if Greenway was a Mallory-like figure in007 First Light, to which he responded:
“Yeah, I mean, that’s kind of, to a great or less extent, exactly who he is, really. But, basically,he’s an ex-00 who has been tasked with re-energizing, reinstating the 00 program, and he brings together a group of candidates, of which James Bond is one of them, obviously. He’s a kind of guide through the game, and there are acted scenes that helps the player figure out what they’ve got to do as they go along Bond’s quest. Greenway is a big part of that.”
Greenway being a former 00 is an important distinction between him and Mallory, who never served in MI6 before becoming an official, high-ranking liaison and subsequently taking over the role of M at the end ofSkyfall. However, it does sound like Greenway and Bond will have a similar relationship, since Greenway is shown to not think highly of Bond in007 First Light’s reveal trailer.
Everything We Know About First Light’s Bond
The Youngest 007 Ever
007 First Light’s version of James Bond utilizes the character’s usual tragic background, with his parents dying in a ski accident, but the gameshares a rare territory withCasino Royale,potentially showing Bond before he attains 00 status. The trailer suggestsFirst Light’s 007 is impulsive, which isn’t exactly out of the norm, but he doesn’t appear to have the suave maturity of previous iterations of the character.
This is because007 First Light’s protagonist is theyoungest James Bond we’ve ever seen, at least when comparing the 26-year-old character to the age of each actor when they portrayed Bond in the Eon films.Age may be part of Greenway’s poor assessment of Bondin the trailer. 00 agents have a famously short life expectancy, and it’s possible Greenway hit the mandatory retirement age of 45 that is imposed on 00 agents in Ian Fleming’s novels.
Greenway will clearly serve as a mentor figure to a very young 007, and shares rare company in the franchise. 00 agents other than Bond are seen only sporadically throughout the films, and only ever mentioned in Fleming’s works. Sean Bean’s 006 inGoldenEyeis arguably the most prominent 00 that isn’t 007, and is joined by Greenway as one of the few former field agents for MI6.
007 First Light Is Already Looking Impressive
A Potentially Triumphant Comeback
Greenway at first appears as an almost redundant character beside M, simply being someone Bond answers to, butJames' explanation of Greenway as a former 00 tasked with rejuvenating the program is a very interesting turn. The implication is that MI6’s elite class of agents hasn’t been operating at its expected level, which helps contextualize M’s push for such a young Bond to be given 00 status.
While very little gameplay for007 First Lighthas been shown, the cast that has come together already paints a promising picture for the Bond origin story. A lot of theJamesBondhallmarks are there, even if thelack of multiplayerignores the franchise’s gaming heritage. Lennie James' Greenway is an interesting character that will help give007 First Lightits own identity among the many Bond stories already told.
