---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are a lot of discussions where…"
description: "\"There are a lot of discussions where people will decide that James Bond is a superhero, because he's a larger-than-life hero who beats the bad guys by ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png"
---

#  There are a lot of discussions where people will decide…

![“There are a lot of discussions where people will decide that James Bond is a superhero, because he's a larger-than-life hero who beats the bad guys by doing larger-than-life things. And I don't think that's a useful definition.” quote by Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png)

> “There are a lot of discussions where people will decide that James Bond is a superhero, because he's a larger-than-life hero who beats the bad guys by doing larger-than-life things. And I don't think that's a useful definition.”

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The quote cautions against labeling James Bond as a superhero, emphasizing that his heroism stems from human skill rather than superhuman powers.

**In simple terms:** Bond is a human hero, not a superhero.

Key Takeaway

Appreciate realistic heroism over fantasy.

Themes

heroism fiction genre character realism

Mood

thought‑provoking critical

Type

literary media analysis

When to use this quote

- movie reviews
- fan discussions
- creative writing
- character development

Key Concepts

superhero genre character analysis narrative definition cultural perception

Questions to Reflect On

- What defines a superhero?
- How does realism affect audience connection?

A Different Perspective

Some may argue Bond’s feats are fantastical enough to be superhero‑like.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Bad guy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/) [Bad guys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guys/) [Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bond/) [Hero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hero/) [Larger than life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/larger-than-life/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Superhero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/superhero/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/)

## Related quotes

> [I think James Bond is a spy. He's not superhuman. Calling him a superhero is like calling James Bond movies "comic-book movies."](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/i-think-james-bond-is-a-spy-he-s-not-superhuman-calling-him-a/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> ["Superhero" is a term that's been borrowed in order to say "big and larger than life and loud and active and dumb." And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/superhero-is-a-term-that-s-been-borrowed-in-order-to-say-big-and/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [Long gone are the days of the stylised old James Bond films with Roger Moore karate chopping his way through the bad guys -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-rayner/long-gone-are-the-days-of-the-stylised-old-james-bond-films-with/)

[Adam Rayner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-rayner/)

> [I'm not particularly an expert on the genre. Correct me if I'm wrong, but usually you see most of the super-villain in his villainous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-frain/i-m-not-particularly-an-expert-on-the-genre-correct-me-if-i-m-wrong/)

[James Frain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-frain/)

> [I think a lot of times it just looks like Hollywood actors in Halloween costumes, you know? And I think what we’re going to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miles-teller/i-think-a-lot-of-times-it-just-looks-like-hollywood-actors-in/)

[Miles Teller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miles-teller/)

> [I like superheroes. I like the drama of it, the stirring, larger-than-life aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/i-like-superheroes-i-like-the-drama-of-it-the-stirring-larger-than/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [I seem to like playing with form, and the superhero genre has an awful lot of formula to it. It has a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/i-seem-to-like-playing-with-form-and-the-superhero-genre-has-an-awful/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [There's one major difference between James Bond and me. He is able to sort out problems!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sean-connery/there-s-one-major-difference-between-james-bond-and-me-he-is-able-to/)

[Sean Connery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sean-connery/)

> [See, it's kind of like James Bond. There's a new James Bond every couple of years. Maybe I can do the new 'MacGyver' and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lucas-till/see-it-s-kind-of-like-james-bond-there-s-a-new-james-bond-every/)

[Lucas Till](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lucas-till/)

> [My dream would be to play the villain in a James Bond movie, or opposite Arnold Schwarzenegger. I like everything exaggerated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/udo-kier/my-dream-would-be-to-play-the-villain-in-a-james-bond-movie-or/)

[Udo Kier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/udo-kier/)

> [I will be the first black James Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dhani-jones/i-will-be-the-first-black-james-bond/)

[Dhani Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dhani-jones/)

> [From '86 until the summer of last year, wherever I went, people would say, You would have made a great James Bond! Weren't you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierce-brosnan/from-86-until-the-summer-of-last-year-wherever-i-went-people-would/)

[Pierce Brosnan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierce-brosnan/)

> [Without wanting to claim that I'm really like James Bond I would certainly prefer to be thought of as closer to James Bond than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rowan-atkinson/without-wanting-to-claim-that-i-m-really-like-james-bond-i-would/)

[Rowan Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rowan-atkinson/)

> [No action hero is more closely associated with cars than James Bond.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hammond/no-action-hero-is-more-closely-associated-with-cars-than-james-bond/)

[Richard Hammond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hammond/)

> [I always wanted to make a 'James Bond' film, and they only seemed to hire British directors, and I'd made 'Swingers' - they were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doug-liman/i-always-wanted-to-make-a-james-bond-film-and-they-only-seemed-to/)

[Doug Liman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doug-liman/)

## More by Kurt Busiek

> [The most fascinating powers don't mean a thing if the guy's poorly motivated or dull, and the most generic powers won't hurt a well-motivated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/the-most-fascinating-powers-don-t-mean-a-thing-if-the-guy-s-poorly/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [The reason I quit being a sales manager over twenty years now is because I hate elevator pitches. I want to write stories and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/the-reason-i-quit-being-a-sales-manager-over-twenty-years-now-is/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [If I won the lottery tomorrow - which would be a real trick, since I haven't entered - and was independently wealthy for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/if-i-won-the-lottery-tomorrow-which-would-be-a-real-trick-since-i/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> ["Superhero" is a term that's been borrowed in order to say "big and larger than life and loud and active and dumb." And I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/superhero-is-a-term-that-s-been-borrowed-in-order-to-say-big-and/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [You've got to leave the reader with more than just a name and a costume - they need to know who the character is,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/you-ve-got-to-leave-the-reader-with-more-than-just-a-name-and-a/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [That's the way it happens - some characters you set out to use, some are happy accidents. As long as it works, it doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/that-s-the-way-it-happens-some-characters-you-set-out-to-use-some-are/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [The metaphor is the story, not the character.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/the-metaphor-is-the-story-not-the-character/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [I love creator-owned comics. Most of my favorite books these days are creator-owned, from stuff DC publishes, like 'Fables,' to books like 'Saga,' 'Fatale,'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/i-love-creator-owned-comics-most-of-my-favorite-books-these-days-are/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [It's fun to take a piece of formula and go someplace else with it and see what happens.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/it-s-fun-to-take-a-piece-of-formula-and-go-someplace-else-with-it-and/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [I'm not building each one character around one metaphor, so much as trying to build a heroic archetype that can be used to express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/i-m-not-building-each-one-character-around-one-metaphor-so-much-as/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [Dracula, if he could see modern corporations, wouldnt like them much. He took care of his people, at least as he saw it. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/dracula-if-he-could-see-modern-corporations-wouldnt-like-them-much-he/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [If there's ever a character who can only serve one metaphor, I'll probably tell one story with that character and be done with it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/if-there-s-ever-a-character-who-can-only-serve-one-metaphor-i-ll/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [I seem to like playing with form, and the superhero genre has an awful lot of formula to it. It has a lot of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/i-seem-to-like-playing-with-form-and-the-superhero-genre-has-an-awful/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [Marvel's got a crowded universe, and there are already so many characters hogging the spotlight that it's hard to break through that. First off,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/marvel-s-got-a-crowded-universe-and-there-are-already-so-many/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

> [When you have a novel set in a fictional history, you still should get your history right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/when-you-have-a-novel-set-in-a-fictional-history-you-still-should-get/)

[Kurt Busiek](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

[Explore all 47 Kurt Busiek quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/)

## More Bad guy quotes

> [“This is what is called "honor among thieves," for the really dangerous people are those who do not recognize that they are thieves— the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-watts/this-is-what-is-called-honor-among-thieves-for-the-really-dangerous/)

[Alan W. Watts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-w-watts/)

> [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/)

[Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/)

> [Obviously I'm very grateful 'Bad Guy' is doing so well - it's shocking and surprising and gratifying - but I do think it's important…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/finneas/obviously-i-m-very-grateful-bad-guy-is-doing-so-well-it-s-shocking/)

[Finneas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/finneas/)

> [“Here you can shoot the bad guys,' a mercenary says in Baghdad. 'In America we give them corporate bonuses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-robotham/here-you-can-shoot-the-bad-guys-a-mercenary-says-in-baghdad-in/)

[Michael Robotham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-robotham/)

> [To us, being the bad guys is cool, because we always root for the bad guys in the movies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeff-hanneman/to-us-being-the-bad-guys-is-cool-because-we-always-root-for-the-bad/)

[Jeff Hanneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeff-hanneman/)

> [In 'Gran Torino,' Eastwood moves towards the climax of the movie not by staging a shoot-out, but by putting his weapons to one side…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-korda/in-gran-torino-eastwood-moves-towards-the-climax-of-the-movie-not-by/)

[Michael Korda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-korda/)

> [In order to have your best good guy, you have to be that bad guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlotte-flair/in-order-to-have-your-best-good-guy-you-have-to-be-that-bad-guy/)

[Charlotte Flair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlotte-flair/)

> [After I did 'Brooklyn,' I did about five or six violent films in one way or another, and not always with me being the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emory-cohen/after-i-did-brooklyn-i-did-about-five-or-six-violent-films-in-one-way/)

[Emory Cohen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emory-cohen/)

> [The first act is the easiest to plot. The second act is always the hardest to plot. Generally a good, you know, sometimes the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-j-cannell/the-first-act-is-the-easiest-to-plot-the-second-act-is-always-the/)

[Stephen J. Cannell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-j-cannell/)

> [“We fall into the fallacy of believing we can litigate the complicated story before us into a black-and-white binary of good guys and bad…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wesley-lowery/we-fall-into-the-fallacy-of-believing-we-can-litigate-the-complicated/)

[Wesley Lowery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wesley-lowery/)

> [“If there was a bad guy we could appeal to the people because, like it or not, we, the huddled masses, want our public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-carter/if-there-was-a-bad-guy-we-could-appeal-to-the-people-because-like-it/)

[Bill Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-carter/)

> [But the thing about bad guys is that they have the biggest bosomed blond, they have great clothes and cars, and get great death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-roberts/but-the-thing-about-bad-guys-is-that-they-have-the-biggest-bosomed/)

[Eric Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-roberts/)

> [I don't know what it is that I do, but when I play a really bad guy, I'm able to bring some level of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miguel-ferrer/i-don-t-know-what-it-is-that-i-do-but-when-i-play-a-really-bad-guy-i/)

[Miguel Ferrer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miguel-ferrer/)

> [In my career, I've been lucky to do the bad guys that are more interesting, where the audience wants to spend more time with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-stormare/in-my-career-i-ve-been-lucky-to-do-the-bad-guys-that-are-more/)

[Peter Stormare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-stormare/)

> [Playing a bad guy is always more fun than playing the good guy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margot-robbie/playing-a-bad-guy-is-always-more-fun-than-playing-the-good-guy/)

[Margot Robbie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margot-robbie/)

[Browse all 1,228 Bad guy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-guy/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "There are a lot of discussions where people will decide that James Bond is a superhero, because he's a larger-than-life hero who beats the bad guys by doing larger-than-life things. And I don't think that's a useful definition.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Kurt Busiek"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-people-will-decide-that-james/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Bad guy"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-people-will-decide-that-james/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/kurt-busiek-14199_bad-guy_there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-peo_1853559.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“There are a lot of discussions where people will decide that James Bond is a superhero, because he's a…” — Kurt Busiek",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Kurt Busiek",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-busiek/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "There are a lot of discussions...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-people-will-decide-that-james/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-busiek/there-are-a-lot-of-discussions-where-people-will-decide-that-james/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
