After No Time To Die, fans have asked themselves, “Is James Bond really dead?” Daniel Craig has discussed it and is right about how his 007-story ended. The movie finds Bond and his love interest, Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) kicking off blissfully simple new lives together, only for the arrival of the villainous Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) ruining everything. The challenge Craig, director Cary Joji Fukunaga, and the filmmakers faced was how to give James Bond a proper ending, and the actor who embodied 007 is justifiably proud of the sendoff they concocted for the British secret agent.
Before Daniel Craig’s tenure, 007 had “died” before with various fakeouts, but No Time To Die solidifies that James Bond really died this time. Craig’s Bond rebooted continuity with a clarified 007 origin that established his own backstory separate from the other movies. Craig’s Bond’s story was a tightly serialized canon that delved into 007’s past, psychology, and humanity. In No Time To Die, James sacrifices his life to keep his love and their daughter Mathilde (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet), safe from a lethal virus Bond was infected with. For the first time, James Bond definitively died a noble death onscreen and it was perfect.
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Bond’s No Time To Die Sacrifice Was The Whole Point For Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig has explained why he was pleased with James Bond’s death in No Time To Die. The actor said (via Variety) that 007’s demise had “weight” and “tragedy” — and Craig’s correct that Bond choosing to die so that Madeleine and Mathilde could live was a heartbreaking but heroic way for 007 to go out. Craig elaborated that being with the people he loves is all Bond wants in the world, but Safin’s (Rami Malek) virus weapon was “an insurmountable problem… and there’s nothing anybody can do about it.”
Craig also joked that the original plan for Bond’s death was he “eats a bad oyster,” but in all seriousness, the way No Time To Die depicted James’ touching sacrifice was perfectly fitting for the character Craig played throughout the saga. Craig’s Bond differed from his predecessors because his 007 movies made the secret agent a three-dimensional, flesh-and-blood human being. James fell in love twice in his films, with Madeleine becoming Bond’s one, true love after the death of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in Casino Royale.
Craig’s Bond was emotionally wounded and often torn between his sense of duty and wanting to walk away from MI6. He also faced his adoptive brother, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), the leader of S.P.E.C.T.R.E, and his arch-nemesis, who wanted to destroy Bond. No Time To Die also broke the mold by giving James a canonical daughter, Mathilde. For the first time, Bond put his loved ones before his own well-being, and he laid down his life so that he could protect them along with Queen and country from Safin’s deadly biological weapon.
As Craig noted, at the end of No Time To Die‘s credits, it says, “James Bond Will Return,” although it won’t be his version of 007 fans see next. No Time To Die boldly killed off James Bond in an unforgettable way that was an emotional and fitting payoff for Craig’s run as 007. Bond’s demise is a choice he makes that is earned, tragically dying right when he finally has something and someone to live for besides the next mission. Ultimately, No Time To Die is a grand finale that boasts an ending that future Bond movies will find difficult to equal or top.
How James Bond Is Returning Despite His Ending Death
It’s a tad confusing that No Time To Die’s ending features a straightforward death of James Bond yet also promises that Bond will return. Even so, the character’s return is very possible. The chapter of Daniel Craig’s Bond has closed, but still, there are options to keep the renowned and lucrative series going. No Time To Die’s ending proves that one Bond movie can tell its very own story – even breaking continuity with James Bond’s own death — without damaging the entire franchise.
Especially now, writers have a great deal of creative license in how they decide to navigate Bond’s story moving forward. As previously mentioned, the James Bond movie series still generates an enormous amount of both public interest and money; the spy’s return is not only possible, but it will also be the best thing for everyone involved or simply interested from a fan perspective.
The Best Next Step Is To Canonize All The James Bond Actors
One way the franchise can move forward while acknowledging that Bond really died in No Time to Die is by embracing a popular theory about the character that has been around for years. The theory suggests “James Bond” is simply a codename alongside the 007 numerics, and each Bond actor plays a new man taking on the position.
The death of Craig’s Bond allows the franchise to fully embrace this and offers more possibilities going forward. If the franchise treats each actor playing Bond as a new character, it opens doors for more creative freedom in casting and narrative choices for James Bond — all without diminishing the impact of Daniel Craig’s Bond death. Certainly, the vibe of the Bond movies needs to be captured, but if the future movies don’t have to worry about what came before, each version of Bond can be unique.
Bond can have a new life, background, and challenges that didn’t exist in other movies. As the filmmakers decide how old the new James Bond should be, they have the freedom to choose someone young to explore 007’s early years or pick an older actor to play a seasoned James Bond. It also allows for diversity in the casting, not worrying about which actor might pass as a version of Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan. While No Time To Die might be the end of one James Bond, the next movie could establish Daniel Craig was simply one of the dozens of men to legally change their entire identity, name included, as part of working for Her Majesty’s Secret Service.
Could James Bond Actually Be Alive?
Though it does seem like a bold strategy for the long-running franchise, there is still a lingering question among fans of if James Bond is really dead. It is hard to accept that such a beloved character with an iconic performance behind it could be killed off even if there are plans to continue the franchise. Hollywood has never been willing to kill off popular characters if there is still the potential to make money off of them. In fact, even the original Bond author was shy about taking such a drastic step.
There were several instances in the 007 books when Ian Fleming seemingly toyed with the idea of killing off his famous character, including in From Russia with Love and You Only Live Twice. Of course, this was undone in the next book. This suggests the door is open for the movies to follow suit and have Daniel Craig’s Bond revealed to be alive in the next installment. There is another questionable aspect to this, however, as Craig himself has insisted he is done with the role.
Though Craig seems happy enough to move onto the Knives Out franchise and other projects, this would hardly be the first time an actor stated that they were done with their famous role only to return to it again. In fact, Sean Connery walked away from Bond several times only to be convinced to return for a sequel. Craig is one of the most popular Bond actors ever, and while there are many fans who felt No Time to Die was a fitting end for his character, his popularity suggests the door will always be open.