LONDON: In his five decades seducing cinemagoers, James Bond has foreshadowed social revolutions and the rise of multinational terrorist organizations, turning into a popular culture icon along the way.

And with his 24th silver-screen a

ssignment “Spectre” due to premiere on Oct. 26, the British spy seems more popular than ever.

His last outing in “Skyfall” took over $1 billion at the box office.

Despite the flurry of speculation about whether a female Bond or a black Bond could spruce up the brand, it seems to be working well just as it is.

Experts put Bond’s longevity down to an age-old fascination with glamor, but also to the imagination of author Ian Fleming, who foresaw great upheavals in social attitudes and geopolitics when he created the character in 1953.

“Bond was a counter-cultural figure, a figure... of the sexual revolution,” said Stephen Watt, a professor of English at Indiana University and author of “Ian Fleming and James Bond: The Cultural Politics of 007.”

“At the same time, he is both a loyal subject and a sophisticate who likes expensive cars, gold-ringed cigarettes especially made for him, and much more.”

As feminism became a strong force in western politics, the spy was accused of being out of touch and has even been called “sexist and misogynistic” by current big-screen Bond, Daniel Craig.

But old-fashioned machismo will always remain part of his appeal, said Watt.

“In a 1964 interview in Playboy... Fleming observed that ‘seduction has, to a marked extent, replaced courtship’,” he said.

Craig has been credited with improving the brand’s image by exploring the complexities of Fleming’s character.

“There’s no doubt that the nature of the Bond films has changed with Daniel Craig,” said James Chapman, professor of film studies at the University of Leicester and author of “Licence to Thrill: A Cultural History of the James Bond Films.”

“The Bond they have today is more contemporary, and slightly more rough-edged.”

Fleming had described Bond as a “believable man,” Watt said.

“I think he might have meant emotionally vulnerable.”

In the new film, which will receive its star-studded Royal Premiere in London, Bond will once again do battle with global criminal agency SPECTRE, which made its first appearance in 1971 classic “Diamonds Are Forever.”