No Time To Die will be Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond, but the producers may choose to keep Craig’s 007 alive, despite rumors that he could die in the movie. Bond has certainly been through the wringer in recent years, proving to be a more vulnerable 007 than any before. Craig’s more rugged take on the iconic super spy has also come dangerously close to meeting his end throughout his four-film run. Now the 25th Bond movie will wrap up the actor’s tenure as 007, prompting theories Bond will finally meet his maker.
Thus far, there’s been no shortage of clues that Craig’s Bond will die in No Time To Die. The trailer hints at his death, and the four previous films have flirted with the idea of Bond’s demise. The producers have even killed off beloved characters such as Judi Dench’s M in Skyfall. Since Craig’s debut, the modern movies haven’t been afraid of challenging James Bond traditions, and it seems many are convinced No Time To Die will steamroll over the most sacred tradition of all: Bond’s continued survival.
But while killing off Bond could be seen as a fitting finale for Craig’s beleaguered 007, there’s actually a good chance he’ll survive his last foray into the world of international espionage – especially if the producers are hoping to gain fan favor following the underwhelming Spectre. Here’s why Bond could come out of No Time To Die in one piece.
No Time To Die Is The End Of Daniel Craig’s James Bond
Debuting as Bond in Casino Royale, Craig brought an unrefined quality to the role that was genuinely unprecedented in the 007 canon. Since this first outing, Craig’s Bond has proven successful for the franchise, despite some mistakes in the form of Quantum of Solace and Spectre. In fact, the latter was enough of a misstep for the series that it seemed Craig wouldn’t return to the role. The Knives Out actor famously made some dramatic comments about quitting but was eventually tempted back to the role, feeling that Spectre wasn’t a satisfying ending.
Now it’s official, Craig is quitting after No Time To Die. The actor said he’s stepping down because “someone else needs to have a go” and he realized “there are other things that are more important.” His departure has naturally ignited widespread speculation over who will replace the 52-year-old, but it’s also prompted rumors of Bond finally meeting his end in No Time To Die. After all, this is the first time a Bond movie has been made in the full knowledge that its star is departing once production wraps, giving the writers and producers a unique opportunity to plan for 007’s demise.
Bond’s mortality has certainly been a running theme of the Craig-led movies. Having come closer to death than any other version of the character in Casino Royale, he’s then shot by Moneypenny in Skyfall‘s opening sequence, before plummeting into a river and being assumed deceased by his former colleagues. Now, the trailer for Bond 25 hints at a similar focus on Bond’s mortality, with Waltz’s Blofeld warning 007 that when Madeline Swann’s secret is revealed “it will be the death of [Bond].” There’s also rumors that Lashana Lynch’s Naomi has taken over as 007 since Bond’s retirement, providing a suitably progressive replacement for the veteran spy.
James Bond Hasn’t Been Killed Off Before
There’s certainly evidence that Bond could meet his demise in No Time To Die, but it would be a truly unprecedented move for the series, which has consistently relied on him coming out on top as one of its defining characteristics. The always-confident super spy has been one step ahead of his enemies since his on-screen debut in 1962’s Dr. No, escaping certain death in every movie since. Witnessing the death of this seemingly bullet-proof cultural mainstay would be a shocking moment in action movie history, and not exactly a crowd-pleasing moment. Of course, Bond has had no problem killing off every one else, and has even witnessed a shocking number of Bond girls meet their maker. In fact, more Bond girls have died than there have been Bond movies. But 007 has become known for his ability to escape elaborate death traps, right up to the most recent film Spectre, where he uses an exploding watch to break out of Blofeld’s torture machine.
If No Time To Die really does kill off Bond, then there would have to be a real point behind such a historic decision. As it stands, there doesn’t seem to be any obvious explanation for doing so, beyond wanting to try something new. Craig’s Bond run started by doing just that, turning many Bond tropes on their head and presenting an unrefined Bond that was unlike any that came before. Perhaps killing Bond would be the ultimate fulfillment of the new Bond movies’ philosophy of upending Bond tradition. But since Casino Royale, the Craig films have increasingly relied on resurrecting traditional Bond tropes, seemingly in order to please fans. From reintroducing Q-Branch and its various gadgets, to bringing back Moneypenny and even putting Craig’s modern Bond in a classic Aston Martin DB5 complete with ejector seat, Eon productions has seemed eager to gain the audience favor since the widely-panned Quantum of Solace. As such, the producers could be reticent to risk alienating Bond fans by breaking the biggest Bond tradition of all and having the beloved spy killed off.
Daniel Craig’s Bond Ending Is Better If He Lives
Alongside mortality, a running theme of the modern Bond films has been the protagonist’s relevance in the modern world. He’s pulled back into action after disappearing into anonymity in Skyfall, where his tired and battle-worn figure has to adapt to a modern MI6. Then, in Spectre Andrew Scott’s Max Denbigh literally wants to abolish what he sees as the outdated double-O program. No doubt there will be a similar meta narrative about the relevance of Bond in 2020 when No Time To Die arrives, but killing him off could be interpreted as an emphatic declaration of his irrelevance – a strange statement for the franchise to make about its own character.
Aside from seemingly undermining future movies in the series, dispatching 007 and appearing to validate his irrelevance seems like an easy way to alienate fans of the series. There’s no doubt Bond, both as a character and franchise, faces some tough criticism in the world of 2020. The philandering spy, who’s only ever been played by white men, and who represents the continued survival of Queen and country is easily dismissed as anachronistic in the current age. There’s even talk of Bond’s daughter being introduced in No Time To Die, which could prove to be an effective way of making 007 confront his misogynistic past, but could also easily turn what’s intended as escapism into a didactic lesson on modern morality. As such, No Time To Die has the potential to either ruin or revolutionize James Bond. Having the aging spy die in the movie runs the risk of doing the former by validating the idea that Bond should disappear indefinitely.
Luckily, there’s every reason Bond will be kept alive in No Time To Die. If Skyfall‘s reinstating of former Bond tropes proves anything, it’s that the producers are not above appealing to fan sentimentality. It seems unlikely they’re convinced audiences want Bond dead. There were even rumors that original No Time To Die director Danny Boyle left the project because he wanted to kill off Bond but wasn’t given the green light by Eon. It could be the case that the producers get around the potentially massive downer of witnessing 007’s death by giving him a Dark Knight Rises-style ending in which he’ll die only for it to be revealed that he actually didn’t. Keeping him alive also allows for the opportunity to bring Craig back in future, for yet another fan-pleasing moment – perhaps as a mentor for that rumored daughter, if she does indeed become the first female Bond. Unlikely, but intriguing nonetheless.
On top of all that, killing Bond would really make recent Bond films a tragic saga when viewed in retrospect. Craig brought Bond back from the brink after the disastrous Die Another Day almost killed the franchise. His turn in the role has secured Bond as a viable property, even if his character has gone through some harrowing experiences. He’s already witnessed the death of both his true love, Vesper Lynd, and beloved superior, M, seen his childhood home destroyed, been tortured multiple times, and seems set to be overshadowed and undermined at every turn by Lasana Lynch’s character in the upcoming film. If the producers have any sense they’ll acknowledge Craig’s Bond as the savior of 007 in the modern age, give the old boy a break, and let him live.
- No Time to Die/James Bond 25 (2021)Release date: Oct 08, 2021
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