While Christopher Nolan has never made a James Bond film himself, the character’s influence can be spotted throughout his filmography.

SUMMARY

Christopher Nolan revealed his favorite James Bond feature, which surprisingly doesn’t include either Sean Connery or Daniel Craig.
Nolan further opened up about paying homage to his favorite Bond feature in his most Bond-like film.
Despite his love for the IP, he will not helm the upcoming iteration of the character.

While Christopher Nolan hasn’t helmed a James Fond feature yet, the influence of the iconic British Spy he grew up watching can be found in Nolan’s filmography, especially in The Dark Knight Rises.

In 2012, the director revealed that he drew inspiration from The Spy Who Loved Me for delving into a more expansive scope for the final entry in the acclaimed trilogy.

However, TDKR isn’t the lone film in his filmography that showcases Nolan’s love for Bond movies, as the director touched on the film that pays homage to his favorite Bond film.

Christopher Nolan on the set of Inception
Christopher Nolan Touched on the Homage He Paid to His Favorite James Bond Feature

While to most, the best entry in the Bond franchise would involve films including Sean Connery or Daniel Craig, interestingly, Nolan’s favorite of the bunch includes neither.

Joining auteur Denis Villeneuve in an interview after an Imax screening of Tenet, undoubtedly the closest to a Bond feature in Nolan’s filmography alongside Inception, the director revealed his favorite Bond film.

And to fans’ surprise, it’s George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, which the director deemed the most emotional entry in the IP’s history.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Expanding on his love for the film, the director revealed that the sky chase and the big fortress in the snow in Inception is a homage to the 1969 classic.

“And I got to have a lot of fun with it. Certainly, with the end of ‘Inception,’ if you look at the end of it with the sky chase and the big fortress in the snow, that was a big homage to ‘On Her Majesties Secret Service,’ which is my favorite of the Bonds. But with [‘Tenet’] I went into the mythology further because I was trying to create a stylized science-fiction on top of that. 

Although it was Lazenby’s first and lone outing as the iconic British spy, with time, fans have come to appreciate his iteration, as his vulnerable take on the Spy was a fresh departure from the norm.
Christopher Nolan’s Inception
Christopher Nolan Isn’t Linked to the Upcoming James Bond Film

While Christopher Nolan is undoubtedly a huge James Bond fan, unfortunately for fans, the director will not helm the next iteration of James Bond, despite rumors suggesting otherwise.

Even though many credible sources claimed the Oscar-nominated filmmaker was in talks to direct the next Bond feature, which was set to take place in the 60s, Nolan debunked these claims. Speaking with The Associated Press, he said:

“No, sadly no — no truth to those rumors,”

Christopher Nolan | Credit: The Late Show with Stephen Colbert
Although it’s unfortunate for fans, it’d be exciting to see what the future holds for Christopher Nolan, especially after the humongous critical and commercial success of Oppenheimer. And with no James Bond in sight for the director, this opens the door for Nolan to helm more original projects.