George Lazenby's "Anti-Bond" Follow-Up To On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Universal Soldier is the «anti-Bond» follow-up movie George Lazenby chose to make after On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The James Bond movies were a global phenomenon during the 1960s, and it became one of the first major blockbuster franchises. Despite their success, star Sean Connery was uncomfortable with the level of fame they brought, in addition to the financial compensation he was receiving. This is why he quit following 1967's You Only Live Twice, and after a search for a replacement that saw everyone from Terrence Stamp to Michael Caine and even Timothy Dalton considered, Australian model George Lazenby landed the part for On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Replacing Connery as Bond was always going to be a tall order, and Lazenby's lack of acting experience only made that task harder. Fan-favorite On Her Majesty's Secret Service also featured the most emotional story of the series to date, with 007 falling in love with and eventually marrying Tracy (Diana Rigg). Both the movie and Lazenby's performance were greeted with mixed reviews at the time, but it's now considered one of the very best entries in the franchise. It has all Bond tropes viewers want from the series, but with a more heartfelt narrative and devastating ending.
Related: Sean Connery's Bond Wouldn't Have Worked In On Her Majesty's Secret Service
The original plan for Lazenby's James Bond was that he would return for Diamonds Are Forever, which was to be a direct sequel following 007 seeking revenge on Blofeld. Famously, Lazenby opted to walk away, claiming at the time the Bond franchise was «outdated» and he was more interested in making movies like Easy Rider. Of course, his exit made plenty of headlines, and Connery was soon offered a
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