''Melted Your Cold Heart Yet?'' Amatonormative Masculinity in Casino Royale and Spectre

The connection between gender and politics has been a central topic of discussion in James Bond scholarship. However, while much of the discourse has focused on the "Bond Girls" or on the connection of gender to imperialism and other power relations, the influence of amatonormativity on Bond’s masculinity has not yet been addressed. This article will examine how, in Casino Royale and Spectre, Bond’s masculinity shifts from Normative Masculinity Type 1 to Normative Masculinity Type 2, triggered by the romantic interests of each film, Vesper Lynd and Dr. Madeleine Swann respectively, and further encouraged by the amatonormative expectations of other characters. In this analysis, I argue that amatonormativity is a driving force in the Bond franchise’s promotion of increasingly conservative values regarding gender and relationships.