Following the surprise announcement that Milla Jovovich is joining Hitman: World of Assassination and Gemma Chan’s upcoming turn as Selina Tan in 007 First Light, the entire energy in the room changed when Lenny Kravitz stepped onto the stage at IO Interactive’s showcase. This was fresh off the reveal of his swaggering new character, the pirate king Bawma, in the next James Bond adventure.

IOI wants to redefine how players connect to the Bond mythos in 2025 and beyond. During our conversation, Senior Licensing Producer Theuns Smit made one thing clear: Kravitz didn’t just join the world; they built part of it around him.

“Kravitz really understood the character of Bawma from the very beginning,” Smit explained. “He could carry that sense of charisma, but also be the kind of antagonist where you don’t really know where you stand with him. He’s mercurial. He demands respect and fear.”

A bold soundscape

According to Smit, the four-time Grammy winner and star of the original Hunger Games films brings such commanding presence and effortless charisma that he slips into the role as if it were written for him, instantly feeling like he belongs in Bond’s pantheon of unforgettable villains. And while Smit wouldn’t reveal just how central Bawma is to the plot, he did promise players will face plenty of “twists and turns” and urged them to experience the journey themselves.

Given Kravitz’s musical legacy and the long history of iconic Bond themes, I had to ask the obvious question: Will First Light get its own original theme song? The last time a Bond game did was back in 2010 with Joss Stone’s “I’ll Take It All” for James Bond 007: Blood Stone, and before that Mya lent her voice to the 2004 EA title James Bond 007: Everything or Nothing. Smit wouldn’t spill any secrets, but he did stress just how central music is to the overall vision for the game.

“We’re really working on elevating the full experience,” said Smit. “Games are often praised for visuals, but sound is what immerses you. We’re working with extremely talented musicians and sound designers to bring that level of musicality into the experience.”

He didn’t confirm whether a signature theme is coming, but the way he emphasized “full experience” suggests something significant is happening behind the scenes. And with an artist like Kravitz already in the building, the possibilities feel wide open.

Channeling momentum as a design cornerstone

Unlike previous games featuring the iconic MI6 agent, 007: First Light isn’t a film tie-in but an original IOI take that stars Patrick Gibson (Shadow and Bone & Dexter: Original Sin) as a mid-20s Bond looking to get 00 status as a young MI6 agent.

As Smit puts it, “a third-person, story-driven action-adventure game” designed from the ground up to introduce an all-new Bond in an origin story. From early previews, the game is definitely taking cues from Bond’s past gaming incarnations alongside IO’s ongoing Hitman series and more set-piece-driven action that’ll remind many of Sony’s Uncharted series.

That framing allows IOI to create its own cadence for Bond while still respecting the decades of storytelling that came before.

“If you’re a fan, you’re going to see nods and winks to the journey and the franchise,” Smit said. “But we’re also focused on bringing a new and exciting reimagined origin story into that space.”

And unlike many previous Bond games, which leaned heavily on shooting or stealth, First Light channels momentum as a design cornerstone.

“When things escalate into a firefight, Bond is improvisational,” Smit explained. “He grabs what’s around him like throwing objects, kicking a shotgun up off the ground, grabbing it mid-air, firing until it’s empty, then throwing the gun at someone and closing the gap. It’s always forward drive, forward movement.”

That kinetic feel was showcased in the early Slovakia mission demo: a vehicular chase in an Aston Martin, an airfield pursuit, and Bond doing what Bond does: staying in motion.

Elevated realism

Working with a global icon like Bond means there are rules. There’s real history spread across various media outside of film, such as the Ian Fleming books that inspired the franchise. There’s a tone that fans expect. But Smit says the collaboration with Amazon MGM gives IOI room to build.

“It’s about doing justice to the IP and staying true to the lore, the characters, the world,” Smit shared. “But it’s also about bringing something new to that space.”

That balance can be seen in how First Light approaches gadgets, one of the pillars of the Bond identity. “We’re giving you the full 360 Bond experience,” Smit said before alluding to a potential hub-like area between missions. “You can go to Q Lab. You can walk up to Q. He’s a fun character in our game, and he’s the brain behind all the gadgets.”

That philosophy shaped the team’s approach to “elevated realism,” where grounded, everyday objects are reimagined as tools of the trade: a phone becomes a “dark phone” that fires off a blinding flash to disorient enemies, a lighter ejects smoke pellets for quick escapes, and a watch strap hides a laser capable of slicing open doors or disarming foes. “It’s all about linking gadgets to everyday things you wouldn’t expect,” Smit added, “but elevated into that Bond fantasy.”

Though IOI may be known for finely tuned stealth action gameplay, vehicle sequences are relatively new territory for the studio. Considering this signature part of Bond’s identity, that was a non-negotiable.

“Sometimes the story prompts a vehicle moment,” Smit said. “We wanted to honor that. It’s something new to us, but you expect it from James Bond, so we put it in.”

IOI is on course to rebuild the Bond universe with new stars, new histories, and new threats. First Light feels like the start of an era shaped by bold choices, unforgettable personalities, and dynamic gameplay. Look for the game to drop on March 27, 2026 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

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Ural Garrett is an Inglewood, CA-based journalist and content curator. His byline has been featured in outlets including CNN, MTVNews, Complex, TechRadar, BET, The Hollywood Reporter and more.