The most recent James Bond movie, No Time To Die, breaks new ground in its climax by actually killing Bond. It’s a little complicated route to come to this ending, but also a suitable conclusion for the more appalling and vulnerable 007 period, started and ended by Daniel Craig. The iconic figure appearing in 24 previous movies, with 2 uncounted unofficial entries, ultimately passes away.
To sum up, the explanation for Bond’s demise is a little of a drag. Initially, Safin shoots Bond 2 times in the back as he attempts to release the blast doors for the missiles to strike Safin’s base and neutralize the bioweapon. Then, after a struggle with Bond, Safin injects him with a special poison, turning him into a carrier who would instantly murder anybody he touches. Bond is currently bleeding out, and were he to escape the island, he would still be forced to live his remaining life with toxic nanobots. The blast doors must also be unsealed because, if the island is not annihilated, the bioweapon can end up in the hands of bad guys. When the missiles approach, Bond returns to the tower to reopen the blast doors. Bond manages to call Madeleine for the last time, assuring that she and their daughter will be out of harm’s way, and that she has “all the time in the word,” a reference to what he said to her at the movie’s opening. This is also a callback to the dreadful demise of James Bond’s spouse, Tracy Bond, in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. After that, Bond and everything else are destroyed when the projectiles strike Safin’s base.
Even though it’s a protracted way from there to actually finishing off Bond, it feels like it meets two goals. First of all, it succeeds in making No Time to Die the undisputed conclusion of Daniel Craig‘s career as the MI6 agent. The fact that he still lives after being struck by 50 missiles on screen leaves no doubt, which is possibly how Craig wants it. With Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise, in which Craig stars as Benoit Blanc, he currently has a new identity he can fully claim by himself, considering the Bond films represent a significant physical demand. Good for him, though.
It’s also a suitable end for this Bond version. Despite the fact that many other ladies are presented along the way, Craig’s Bond was always a bit tragic ever since he couldn’t save Vesper Lynd’s life in Casino Royale. This was also a Bond typically struggling with his own malfunctioning body (Skyfall), growing outdated in a progressively interconnected environment, and being completely retired by the time you reach No Time To Die. Though a reboot of this franchise would certainly perform excellently to shake things up with a more passionate MI6 agent, it’s a proper end that Craig’s Bond should give up his own life as an attempt of finding inner peace. This is also a Bond in the search of a method to depart the world that’s not in need of him anymore.
It should be taken into consideration that the credits run, as they always do, with the phrase “James Bond Will Return,” and personally I believe that will definitely happen. This brings up the subject of the upcoming Bond, and a 26th James Bond film will be launched, although it is yet uncertain how it may appear. We are aware that a fresh star will play the part, but we are unsure whether the relaunch will completely ignore the Craig period or whether they will attempt an in-world relaunch by turning “James Bond” into a mantle that is passed down as a code name (remember that in the Craig era, “James Bond” is his real name). Craig appears to be finished no matter how Bond makes a comeback, and he gets to leave in a method that no Bond has done previously.
