James Bond and 007 are among the most recognizable icons and symbols within the franchise and the espionage subgenre. While Bond and 007 have melodically intertwined with each other over the years, many are unaware of the significance of the iconic rank.
Bond's source material and the Bond franchise both attest that there was a time when the agent worked and performed his duties at M16 without the iconic number rank before promotion. Since the latest installment in the franchise, No Time to Die, the agent has used the legendary number rank since then. But is there more meaning behind the classic agent rank?
Is the Double-0 rank a real thing?
According to Spyscape, The "00" designations are associated with Fleming's participation in World War II as a Naval officer engaged in British military intelligence in the 1940s. The '0' prefix was given to Prime Minister Winston Churchill's SOE agents to indicate that they were "zero"-rated agents, which meant that they were prepared and authorized to use any means necessary to eliminate the enemy.
This would further extend into the film and book versions of Casino Royale. At the beginning of the film, Daniel Craig's James Bond is working toward achieving the prestige of the 007 title. Here, he gets rid of corrupt M16 section chief Dryden (Malcolm Sinclair) and his associate. While Daniel Craig's film account of the matter somewhat differs from the actual source material, author Ian Fleming also details in his book where the agent first got his rank. In Fleming's original work, the naval commander currently works for M16. Bond states that he has killed two villains prior, one in New York and another Norwegian Double Agent working for the Germans, earning him his 00 rank.
While Daniel Craig's Casino Royale draws respectful nods to the original source material, the film drifts a bit creatively to make for an intensely engaging opener. The film retains the authenticity of requiring two kills in unison to achieve the "double 0" rank, it is not the same individuals that are killed in the original text. Since 1958's Dr. No, when he used his "00" status, Bond has successfully defeated his enemies. The Bond timeline wouldn't be restarted until Casino Royale.
Fleming fine-tunes the 00-Ranking with his third book, Moonraker. In Moonraker, James Bond, as well as other "00" agents bear the license to kill, 008 and 0011. Throughout the book series, Fleming has only mentioned five other agents to have ever carried the rank, with 009 being mentioned in Thunderball and 006 in Her Majesty's Secret Service. Since then, the films have provided a fresh outlook to Fleming's material, bringing in other "00" agents showcasing the evolution of the film franchise. In No Time to Die viewers get a glimpse of that evolution with Nomi's character as the latest "007" agent debut. The films have also taken further creative direction in filling the "007" role. The last numbers mean much more than just the person wearing the title, but as a code that can be applied to whatever agent best suits that mission.
Does James Bond hold another rank?
In No Time to Die, James Bond is referred to as Commander Bond. In the film, the spy finally puts his foot down and leaves the world of espionage behind, something that was teased in 2012's Spectre and 2015's Skyfall, but never came to pass. However, nothing with Bond is ever as easy as it seems when his retirement is cut short, and the life of the CIA calls back to him in the form of an old CIA friend, Felix Leiter (Jeffery Wright). Bond then heads to London by orders from "M", where he works alongside new "007" agent Nomi (Lashauna Lynch.)
Throughout the film, the film deliberately drives home the point to call the legendary secret agent "Commander Bond." Nomi repeatedly uses this throughout the film while addressing him with the title continuing to hold its ground and power through Craig's last chapter as his final role as Bond in the franchise. While this is not something many are familiar with hearing, "Commander Bond" has always been part of the many titles the secret agent possesses outside the "007" rank.
While Ian Flemings's work has always been the backbone of all the James Bond films, few have dived into the backstory of Bond as much as the Craig films have. While only hinted at in small vignettes across the franchise, young James Bond after college joined the Royal Navy where throughout he had an exemplary military career and effortlessly secured the rank of Commander in the RNR Defense Intelligence Group. It was only after he attained such accolades within the Royal Navy that at the age of 30, he joined the M16, where he successfully earned the prestigious 007 rank.