Although the 007 First Light hero might not be the "classy Bond with the martini" longtime fans might be expecting, he's "certainly handsome" – a feature of James' that IO Interactive surprisingly put quite a bit of thought into.
Speaking to GamesRadar+ during a recent interview at Gamescom 2025, franchise art director Rasmus Poulsen begins by saying, "Bond has been many things through the ages, which is part of what makes him interesting and part of what makes playing in the sandbox so fun" – and it isn't just the protagonist's character that makes up who he is, but his appearance, too. One part of this is, of course, his distinguishable scar.
"For us, the scar was important because it's described in the books," explains Poulsen, going on to state that Bond's humor and "dry British wit" were also features IO Interactive hoped to nail while conceptualizing the 007 First Light character. As for his looks, "in terms of how handsome he should be," the art lead admits that the developers agreed Bond should be "certainly handsome, but probably not beautiful." He's James Bond after all, not a Ken doll.
"There's something about the fact that his charm and his prowess really carry the character and that he will convince you and charm you," as Poulsen describes, "even though he isn't a Ken doll. And so the human aspect of him is something we were really trying hard to give you."
Bond's behavior and "sensibility" come into play here, too, as "if you rely too much on the superficial looks, you might easily miss what makes the character the character."
Poulsen continues: "I think we're in a space now where we are looking at characters more widely than simply a face. It's mannerisms, it's specific charms, it's how they make you feel, it's the cadence of how they deliver their voice." Building Bond as a convincing character is about creating someone who is "certainly not just a face." Instead, he's a bit of "everything" – made up of "mannerisms, rhythm of talking, cadence," and more.
As for how IO Interactive grapples with the fact that there are so many James Bonds at this point – "I think we do what we think is right and what feels right from that amalgamation." What's important is that their James Bond stands out as such. "You have to trust that your version of Bond is your version of Bond," as Poulsen says. "Some people will see different Bonds in him," but that's okay – that's to be expected with a 63-year-old character.
Looking forward to one of the most exciting new games yet? Check out our other 007 First Light interview with IO Interactive to learn more about the upcoming James Bond title.
