If the next James Bond film wants to cut Miss Moneypenny in his supporting cast, there’s a perfect replacement in Ian Fleming’s novels.

SUMMARY

 Loelia Ponsonby could be a fresh addition to the James Bond series, bringing a different dynamic than Miss Moneypenny.
 Introducing new characters like Loelia can help the franchise feel new and move beyond standard elements of past films.
 Loelia Ponsonby’s history in the original James Bond novels could provide an interesting and valuable contribution to the cinematic story.

The upcoming 26th entry in the James Bond series needs to make changes going forward, and this could easily include replacing Miss Moneypenny with another Ian Fleming creation.

The series has evolved plenty over the last fifty years, but the characters and gadgets of the James Bond movies have remained largely consistent.

Figures like M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny have appeared in many of the James Bond films, largely serving constant roles as allies to the unstoppable MI:6 agent.

Following the explosive finale No Time To Die though, the next film in the series needs to make some changes. This will allow the series to feel fresh going forward, instead of relying on the standard elements of former James Bond films.

That doesn’t mean the creatives behind the films have to abandon the stories and characters that Ian Fleming created.

One simple change that could be a quietly useful way to separate the upcoming James Bond 26 from the prior movies would be the cinematic introduction of one of Ian Fleming’s original James Bond supporting characters.

James Bond 26 will present the franchise with its toughest challenge at the box office since the first time it recast the role of 007 in 1969.

Loelia Ponsonby Can Replace Miss Moneypenny In Bond 26

Loelia Ponsoby would make the ideal replacement for Miss Moneypenny in a future installment of the James Bond franchise, helping the next film in the series move on from the primary characters commonly found in the series.

Miss Moneypenny has been a frequent fixture in the franchise, appearing in almost all previously released James Bond films.

She’s only absent in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, which rebooted James Bond and was far more focused on his early career. However, she’s not the only assistant character in the series.

If the upcoming 26th Bond film wants to separate itself from prior movies, introducing Loelia could be the way to go.

Because the character has not previously appeared in any James Bond movies, she would be a chance for the filmmakers to introduce fresh blood into the franchise.

Notably, her history and role in the original novels would make her an interesting addition to the next cinematic James Bond story.

This would also allow Miss Moneypenny to be utilized differently, similar to how the modern James Bond films reimagined her as a former field agent.

Loelia Ponsonby’s Character In Ian Fleming’s James Bond Books Explained

In Ian Fleming’s early James Bond novels, Loelia Ponsonby was a major supporting character. Introduced in the novel version of the absurd Moonraker, Loelia was quickly established as a fixture within the Double-O section of MI:6 as a shared secretary. Loelia served as an asset for multiple agents, not just James Bond.

Despite only being a secretary with the department, Loelia’s exposure to multiple agents and their work gave her a huge amount of knowledge about sensitive subjects.

This made her a uniquely clever character in the series, with a deep wealth of potentially invaluable knowledge.

Loelia was written out of the books in 1961’s Thunderball, which saw her leave MI6 after deciding to marry a member of the Baltic Exchange. However, she reappeared in 2008’s James Bond book Devil May Care, resuming her former position after giving birth to two sons.

Loelia in the books is one of the few characters James Bond encounters who is always understanding of him, playfully flirting with him even while openly refusing any romantic gestures from Bond or the other agents. This could be the ideal blueprint for a new supporting character in Bond’s adventures.

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Why Loelia Ponsonby Hasn’t Appeared In Any Previous James Bond Movies

Loelia’s absence in the James Bond movies can be chalked up to the prominence of Miss Moneypenny. While Moneypenny is the secretary for Bond’s superior officer M, she’s able to accomplish many of the same storytelling purposes as Loelia.

The two were actually close friends in the books, but Moneypenny’s movie counterpart ended up absorbing numerous traits of Loelia — including her flirty friendship with James Bond.

Loelia actually almost appeared in the film adaptation of Goldeneye, but was ultimately cut from the film. However, this may have been a blessing in disguise.

Loelia could make an appearance in the next James Bond movie, highlighting how the series is moving beyond the films of the past. She could retake her position from the novels and provide an empathetic shoulder for Bond to lean on.

Even if the character doesn’t retain the original’s flirty nature, her natural trepidation about getting close to agents could be used to underscore the likely fatal stakes any 00 agent must confront.

While she hasn’t appeared in any previous James Bond movies, the next one might be the perfect time for Loelia Ponsonby to make her cinematic debut.