For more than six decades, James Bond has been the star of the 007 franchise. But as Amazon MGM Studios prepares to reinvent the cinematic series, the world of Bond is also expanding in some surprising directions.This year has already seen the release of 007 First Light, IO Interactive’s third-person action-adventure video game starring Patrick Gibson (Dexter: Original Sin) as a young James Bond.Amazon MGM is also preparing its next Bond movie, with Dune: Part Three (2026) director Denis Villeneuve behind the camera and Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) writing the screenplay.Credit: IO Interactive under license from Amazon MGM Studios, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Eon ProductionsRelated: Next ‘James Bond’ Confirmed To Be a Sequel, Previous 007 Will Return for His Sixth OutingMeanwhile, the literary side of the franchise continues to introduce new ways of exploring the 007 universe. Among the new books that are currently being rolled out is The Q Mysteries. But as you can guess from the title, James Bond isn’t the main character in this spinoff series at all.Vaseem Khan’s The Man with the Golden Compass is the second book in The Q Mysteries, following 2025’s Quantum of Menace. The novel is due to be published on October 22, 2026, and once again puts Major Boothroyd — the character better known as Q — at the center of the story.That’s a pretty big change for a franchise that has traditionally been built around 007.Credit: MGM/EON ProductionsJames Bond Is No Longer the Main CharacterQ, the head of Q Branch/quartermaster responsible for equipment and gadgets that help the iconic spy survive his missions, has always been one of Bond’s most recognizable supporting characters. But in Khan’s books, he has stepped away from MI6 and become an amateur detective.After being dismissed from Q Branch, Major Boothroyd returns to his hometown of Wickstone-on-Water. In Quantum of Menace, he investigated the mysterious death of his childhood friend. Now, in The Man with the Golden Compass, he’s hired by the local police to investigate the unsolved murder of tech millionaire and online antique dealer Laurence Noble.Per IanFleming.com, here’s the official description for the upcoming book:“Fresh from successfully reinvestigating his childhood friend’s mysterious death, Q is hired as a civilian contractor by the police in his sleepy hometown to look into the unsolved murder of tech millionaire turned online antique dealer, Laurence Noble. Six months ago, Noble was tortured and killed, a circular object made of gold and inscribed with mysterious runes found in his pocket. As Q investigates, he finds himself dragged into a chilling conspiracy where past and present meet in a way he could not possibly have imagined.”Of course, there are still plenty of connections to the wider Bond universe. Q remains the same iconic character created by Ian Fleming, but these stories allow readers to see what happens when one of Bond’s colleagues is finally given a mission of his own.The result is essentially a 007 mystery series without 007 as its leading man.Credit: Inside the MagicBond’s World Is Not EnoughQ isn’t the only supporting Bond character to get the spinoff treatment. But the idea of moving the spotlight away from 007 isn’t entirely new. Samantha Weinberg’s The Moneypenny Diaries gave Miss Moneypenny her own literary adventures, with the three-book series chronicling the life of M’s personal secretary and exploring her role within the world of British intelligence.Amazon MGM is reportedly developing The Moneypenny Diaries for television in addition to the upcoming film reboot, with Marvel star Florence Pugh reportedly being eyed to play Moneypenny.Meanwhile, a full-cast audio drama adapted from Charlie Higson’s Young Bond novel Silverfin is in development, giving us an even younger Bond than Patrick Gibson’s in 007 First Light.The new era of 007 may still belong to James Bond — but these projects are making it increasingly clear that he’s no longer the only character capable of carrying the franchise.Credit: Inside the MagicWho’s Playing James Bond in the New Film?The new Bond film is also underway.The film will be the first Bond movie to follow the Daniel Craig era, which concluded with No Time to Die (2021).It has now been reported that the actor has been cast, which the film’s screenwriter Steven Knight confirmed in an interview with Radio 4’s Today programme (via The Independent).However, the actor has not yet been named. Amazon MGM has been searching for Craig’s replacement for months, with numerous actors linked to the role.Among the names that have emerged are Jacob Elordi (Wuthering Heights), Callum Turner (Eternity), Paul Mescal (Gladiator II), Harris Dickinson (Where the Crawdads Sing), Jack Barton (The Listeners), and Jack Lowden (Slow Horses). A recent report claimed those six actors make up the shortlist, with Barton viewed as the leading contender. Lowden has also emerged as a favorite.Which Bond project are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!The post James Bond Officially Removed as Main Character in New 007 Reboot appeared first on Inside the Magic.