Pierce Brosnan has insisted that the next James Bond must be British

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, he added: "In this world that is moving so fast now, at the speed of light, [the takeover] does come with a certain lament.

"I thought it was coming for some time I guess, but I think it was the right decision for Barbara and Michael.

"It takes great courage for them to let go. They will still have a say in matters. I hope that [Amazon] handles the work and the character with dignity and imagination and respect."

The 'Mamma Mia!' star played the iconic spy from 'GoldenEye' in 1995 until he bowed out of the franchise in 2002 with 'Die Another Day', and Daniel Craig took over for 'Casino Royale' in 2006 before leaving after 'No Time To Die' in 2021.

Pierce added: "History has been passed on and I'm very proud to have been part of the history and the legacy of Bond and the movies that I made with Barbara and Michael.

"That we moved the needle, that we brought it back to life. It had been dormant [for] six years and 'GoldenEye' was such a success that it continued and went from strength to strength...You know, everything changes, everything falls apart, and I wish them well."

His comments come after it was announced that Barbara and Michael announced they would be stepping back from 'James Bond' after the franchise had been owned by the Broccoli family since 1962's 'Dr. No'.

The pair formed a new joint venture with Amazon to house 'James Bond's intellectual property rights, with all three parties remaining co-owners of the series.

Barbara said in a statement: "My life has been dedicated to maintaining and building upon the extraordinary legacy that was handed to Michael and me by our father, producer Cubby Broccoli.

"I have had the honour of working closely with four of the tremendously talented actors who have played 007 and thousands of wonderful artists within the industry.

"With the conclusion of 'No Time to Die' and Michael retiring from the films, I feel it is time to focus on my other projects."

After Broccoli and Wilson announced their departure, former 'Bond' star Timothy Dalton said he had been left "shocked" the producers were handing the franchise to Amazon.

He told RadioTimes.com: "I was very, very surprised and shocked.

"Barbara is I think a fabulous woman and a wonderful producer, as was her father Cubby Broccoli, who I got on with very well and liked a lot. He was a very powerful and strong anchor for the project.

"Nothing went on that he didn't want and it's sad that he's not with us anymore, that's all I can say."