Black Bag

WARNING : looter ahead for Black Bag .

Michael Fassbender ’s gripping new espionage thrillerBlack Bagnearly fuse two disjoined era of the celebratedJames Bondfranchise with two distinct casting selections . Steven Soderbergh and David Koepp joined force after their 2025 horrorPresencewith the meticulously structured and fast - pacedBlack Bag , which may ask multiple viewingsat a razor - shrewd 93 - moment runtime . Fassbender headliner alongside the unparalleled Cate Blanchett as George Woodhouse , the confidential federal agent husband of Blanchett ’s Kathryn St. Jean . round outBlack Bag’scastare Pierce Brosnan , Tom Burke , Regé - Jean Page , Marisa Abela , and Naomie Harris .

Black Bagfeatures many similar thematic and narrative element to thecelebratedJames Bondfranchiseand even features two of its key actors from different007eras . WithJames Bondrecently being betray to Amazon , there ’s a lot to be sorted out about the franchise ’s time to come , particularly about who is finally going to replace Daniel Craig as the generational nominal frame . Regé - Jean Page , who has been in previous talk to take the reins of the Bond character reference , feels like he gives his best hearing as the flowing and measured Col . James Stokes inBlack Bag . It ’s impossible to ignore that Brosnan and Harris are both attachment alumni appearing inBlack Bag .

Black Bag (2025) Official Poster

Bond Franchise Actors Pierce Brosnan & Naomie Harris Have Roles In Black Bag

Brosnan Played Bond While Harris Appeared In The Last 3 Installments

Brosnan , who played Bond from 1995 to 2002 , is a part of the ensemble wander ofBlack Bagalongside Harris , who appear in the last three Bond movies . WithBlack Bagbeing do in London , it appears that Koepp and Soderbergh may have been heavily prompt by theBondfranchise and may consider their photographic film a sort of unofficial entry into the franchise .

Brosnan asterisk as Bond in 1995’sGoldenEye , 1997’sTomorrow Never die , 1999’sThe World Is Not Enough , and 2002’sDie Another Day .

Brosnan starred as Bond in 1995’sGoldenEye , 1997’sTomorrow Never Dies , 1999’sThe World Is Not Enough , and 2002’sDie Another Day . Harris trifle Moneypenny , a secretary to M , in 2012’sSkyfall , 2015’sSpectre , and 2021’sNo metre to break .

Michael-Fassbender-and-Pierce-Brosnan-from-Black-Bag

Custom Image by Yeider Chacon

Although Brosnan was front - and - center in his fourBondfilms , he plays the supporting characterArthur Stieglitz inBlack Bag , the head of the National Cyber Security Center in London . Arthur is George and Kathryn ’s boss at the NCSC but mostly remains in the ground throughout the film , which is the complete opposite of his multiple performances as 007 . As for Harris , she similarly plays a supporting character in bothBlack Bagand her threeBondinstallments . HerBlack Bagcharacter , Dr. Zoe Vaughn , is a clinical psychologist who conducts required evaluations with NCSC agent like George and Kathryn .

Pierce Brosnan & Naomie Harris Don’t Have Any Scenes Together In Black Bag

Black Bag Misses Out On Creating A Meta Bond Franchise Moment

Even though Brosnan and Harris both play fundamental type inBlack Bag , they are never on - screen together , which form of seems like a missed opportunity . Due to the rapid - fire nature of Koepp ’s screenplay , there appear to be virtually zero wiggle room for anything extra , which is probable a major factor in whythe picture could n’t give to include a " meta " Bond franchise instant . Clearly , both Brosnan and Harris ’s experience in the Bond dealership assist their performances as NCSC staff office . Even frame them in the same room would have made an interesting Easter Egg that unfortunately did not occur inBlack Bag .

ScreenRant consultation Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender , Cate Blanchett , Marisa Abela , Regé - Jean Page , and Naomie Harris about the spy thriller .

By theend ofBlack Bag , both Brosnan ’s Arthur and Harris ’s Zoe were part of the plan to leakSeverus , an advanced cyber weaponthat can set off any atomic reactor burden on the planet . While Zoe was part responsible for for her part in the detailed plot to redact Kathryn for the leak , the straight mastermind wasArthur , who , with the avail of Pages ' James Stokes , purposely handed Severus into the hands of two Russian criminalssetting course for Moscow . This would have caused a atomic catastrophe and be tens of thousands of impeccant aliveness but would have ceased Russia ’s relentless warfare efforts .

Rege-Jean Page, Naomie Harris, and Michael Fassbender sit at the dining table in Black Bag

Universal Pictures, Focus Features

Black Bag Gives Pierce Brosnan & Naomie Harris Different Roles Than Bond

Both Are Various Degrees Of Antagonists In Black Bag

Image via Focus Features

Whereas Harris and Brosnan ’s characters in theBondfranchise are both on the good side of the conflict , both are quite nefarious in Black Bag . Several characters end up being involved in the patch to go under George against Kathryn , but none are more responsible for for the Severus leak thanBrosnan ’s Arthur , making him the true baddie ofBlack Bagnext to Page ’s James .

bail bond 26 ’s new 007 may already have been identify , and this emerging star is a astonishingly perfect pick for the persona of the iconic top-notch undercover agent .

Black_Bag_Michael_Fassbender__Cate_Blanchett

Zoe was mostly guilty of play along with the schema to ensnare Kathryn and lead astray George , making her the less shamed political party compared to Arthur . If anything , Fassbender ’s George is the most adhesion - like of the group inBlack Bag , using his secret factor skills and a act of lot to salvage the day .

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Cast

Arthur Stieglitz (Pierce Brosnan) and Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett) talking in an elevator in Black Bag

Image via Focus Features

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Black Bag

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