Audiences worldwide know Lennie James as one of the fiercest (and most unpredictable) survivors in the post-apocalyptic world. The iconic actor brought Morgan Jones to life in the very first episode of The Walking Dead and had a few guest appearances before becoming a recurring character towards the halfway point of the show. We then saw him steal the spotlight in Fear the Walking Dead from Season 4 onward. But while Morgan has become Lennie's most iconic role, a new performance could change that.
007 First Light is finally here, and it has been taking the video game industry by storm. The latest title by IO Interactive sold 2.7 million copies in its first week alone and was released to overwhelmingly positive critical success. The game feels like a perfect mix between the Hitman and Uncharted series, giving players the ability to stealth and deceive their way through a room full of guards but also arming them with enough tools to survive the most unlikely set pieces.
While action and espionage are at the heart of 007 First Light, a key aspect that elevates the game as a whole is its amazing performances, especially that of Lennie James as John Greenway.
Lennie James steals the show as John Greenway in 007 First Light
The story of 007 First Light perfectly takes cues from any good espionage movie. A program to find the country's next big agent is underway, and an unlikely candidate like Bond joins halfway through it because he did something so exceptional that it impressed the high command of MI6. Of course, in this type of story, there's always someone who isn't too keen on opening the doors to an "unqualified" outsider, and that's John Greenway for you.
Greenway is a very interesting character because it's really easy to hate him at first, which only speaks volumes about the amazing work Lennie James does portraying the character. However, after things go horribly sideways on a mission, Bond and Greenway are forced to team up to uncover a big, hidden conspiracy. Along the way, the two become closer, and at one point it's impossible not to grow attached to Greenway's character.
Lennie James best described his role in 007 First Light during an interview:
"I play John Greenway. I think one of the good things about their relationship [with Bond] is it changes, it grows. You're going on a journey whereby these two men start as unwanted colleagues and end up in a kind of mentor-mentee relationship."
Greenway is a very complex character. He's smart enough to see a big conspiracy that remains hidden to most, yet he's oblivious to the value that James Bond could bring to MI6. Furthermore, he once used to be on the field as a 00 agent, yet he now sits behind a desk. It's clear something big (and even personal) happened with his character, but we won't dive into any spoilers here.
Lennie James plays this role a bit stoically at first, completely unamused by Bond's shenanigans. As the story goes on, you can get glimpses of genuine anger within Greenway as Bond continues advancing in the 00 program. But when the two become partners, you can see a whole different side to the character. Greenway becomes a bit of a sarcastic yet unintentionally fun mentor who constantly proves why he used to be one of MI6's greatest agents.
Throughout certain missions, Greenway will be able to join Bond in the field, although an injury prevents him from fully taking over in combat. Despite that, he will help players on multiple occasions and drop some much-needed exposition about the 00 program that started it all.
Greenway is an instrumental character in 007 First Light, and no one but Lennie James could've portrayed the role with so much depth. At this point, the iconic actor has gone toe-to-toe with zombies and heavily trained agents, so there's no threat he can't face next.
007 First Light is now available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
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