Patrick Gibson: The New Voice of James Bond in Gaming

The Rise of a New James Bond

Is any acting gig more contested than James Bond? Each week seems to bring a din of audition speculation so loud that it must be exhausting for the Elordis, Cavills and Dickinsons who are at the centre of it all. But when one of them does finally bag the role, perhaps they should seek the counsel of the actor who has quietly played the part for the last five years: Patrick Gibson.

Gibson's Journey to Becoming Bond

Gibson is the star of '007 First Light', the video game that has sold 2.7m copies since it was released two weeks ago. As a computerised Bond, Gibson is the first video game actor to lend both his voice and likeness to the role. With endorsement from both Amazon MGM and previous brand guardians Eon there’s a case to be made that he is the seventh official Bond (and the second Irish one).

The Challenges of Portraying Bond

The key to pushing through the pressure of becoming Bond was to lean into it. “I think the enormity of the idea helped me. It felt so impossible as a dream that I was like, sure, may as well throw my hat in here,” he explains. Gibson resisted aping any one turn, instead looking for common ground between portrayals. “The most exciting part was stripping away the experiences of the Bonds we’ve met in books and films and being left with the DNA of ‘who is this person?’ What ingredients existed before, that were perhaps nature rather than nurture?”

The Impact of Gibson's Performance

The game’s narrative director Martin Emborg sees the game as its own, meaningful alternative. “We’ve had the literary Bond. We’ve had the cinematic Bond for 62 years. What we have here is an interactive Bond that exists in its own right.” Gibson certainly seems to be enjoying the full Bond experience. Seeing his character model for the first time (dapper, no tux). Learning what car he’ll tear around in (an Aston Martin Valhalla). Hearing his theme song (a stonking Lana Del Rey/David Arnold collaboration).

The Future of Bond in Gaming

007 First Light is out now on PC, PS5 and Xbox on 27 May; and releases on Nintendo Switch 2 later in summer. The game offers a new take on the Bond franchise, with Gibson's performance at its core. As the Bond franchise continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how Gibson's portrayal fits into the larger narrative.