*This article contain No Time to Die spoilers*
Daniel Craig left the role of 007 after last year’s No Time to Die and the shock manner of his exit allows the producers to completely reset the role and the narrative he says.
James Bond chose to die at the end of the film – his future compromised by villain Lyutsifer Safin’s bioweapon in his blood – while he was on the phone to his lover, Madeleine Swann, played by Lea Seydoux.
The plot development stunned James Bond fans, especially as the No Time to Die cast and crew had managed to keep this twist of all twists secret while the film was on ice for over a year due to the Covid pandemic.
Daniel has described it as a ‘really very, very satisfying’ way to leave the role of Bond behind, adding: “The through line of this is family [and] love, plus the fact we had an end so it was about hanging the film off that.”
He revealed to The Telegraph that he had the idea before his first film Casino Royale even came out and he pitched it to the producer Barbara Broccoli who, audaciously, agreed to his request.
Fifteen years and five films later, the super spy died.
Daniel said: “I mean, as much as the killing-off of my version of Bond has been problematic for a lot of people, I do think it’s a positive thing that whenever these guys get together again, it can be completely reset. They can start again wherever they want.”
Starting again is very much on the minds of fans four months after No Time to Die was released. What’s next is always on the mind of James Bond fans and as to the identity of who the eighth Bond will be there are so many names bandied about as potential agents that it’s hard to keep up.
One name that keeps reoccurring is Luther star Idris Elba, who at 49 is widely considered too old to play 007. But two people who haven’t ruled him out are the producers, Broccoli and Michael G Wilson.
She said told Deadline this week: “Well, we know Idris, we're friends with him, and he's a magnificent actor. And, you know, it's been part of the conversation, but it's always difficult to have the conversation when you have someone in the seat.
“I think we have decided that until No Time To Die has had its run and Daniel has been able to, well, we've all been able to savour, reap the benefits of Daniel’s wonderful tenure, we’re not gonna think about, or talk about anybody else, actors to play the role or storylines, we just want to live in the moment.”
Will they be forward thinking enough to cast the first black Bond? Only time will tell.
