Pierce Brosnan left open the possibility of returning to the James Bond universe, but not as the iconic 007, rather as a retired agent living the “post-Bond” era. In a new interview with the British magazine GQ, the Irish actor—famous for his legendary role in four films from 1995 to 2002—clarified that James Bond now “belongs to someone else,” but did not hide his interest in appearing in a new franchise project.

“Of course, people ask me about Bond. ‘Would you do it again?’ But that’s someone else’s job,” he said, leaving a window open for a different kind of participation. “The opportunities to work within this film, to entertain. Yes, that would be exciting,” he stressed. When asked if he would play a retired James Bond, Pierce Brosnan gave an ambiguous answer: “Sometimes you enjoy it and sometimes you just move on.”

The actor, who has left an indelible mark on the franchise with GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World Is Not Enough (1999), and Die Another Day (2002), admits that today he enjoys portraying more mature characters. In this year’s mystery film The Thursday Murder Club, he appears as former union leader Ron Ritchie, a role much closer to his current mood.

“There is a clear, conscious intention to move forward because of my age, and I accept it. I don’t want to be jumping out of airplanes anymore,” he noted.