James Bond is not only a character's name; it is one of the renowned movie franchises in the world. With 24 installments released to date, the franchise is set to release its 25th movie on 2 April 2020 (Germany).
Despite immense popularity and familiarity, the franchise was losing its fanbase for years until Daniel Craig took the role of the womanizing yet ruthless MI6 agent with "007" designation in the 2006 film Casino Royale.
It's been more than 14 years since Daniel Craig first portrayed James Bond, and a lot has changed in the last decade. The lead character has lost multiple allies during this time, including M (played by Judi Dench) in Skyfall and Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in Casino Royale.
In a world full of terrorists and aristocrats, it's nothing surprising for "007" to lose a few friends. But, with the end of the second decade of the 21st century, a significant change has impacted the James Bond universe.
Well, in the upcoming Bond movie No Time to Die, Daniel Craig will no longer act as a "00" agent. After James' retirement from MI6, the double-O status will have been shifted to a new agent, and this time it will be a female.
Daniel Craig as James Bond from a scene of No Time to Die (©: LastMovieOutpost)
It's common knowledge that No Time to Die will be Daniel's last movie as James Bond. The big question here is: Who will take up the lead role once Daniel Craig leaves the franchise?
With the question in mind, many feminists are now rooting for a female bond in the movie series, and the recent development has further increased the possibility.
No Time To Die To Feature First Lady "00" Agent
Daniel Craig's departure from the Bond franchise is pretty inevitable. And, with his exit, a new replacement for the actor must be selected soon. Feminists have been advocating for a female lead character in the movie series, which is why many had hoped for Eve Moneypenny (played by Naomie Harris) to follow James' footsteps and become the next "00" agent.
However, Eve will not be filling James' shoes; well, at least not in the upcoming installment. No Time to Die will feature a new cast member, who will play as the replacement of James Bond in MI6 after his retirement.
English actress Lashana Lynch will star as Nomi- a "00" agent of two years- in the 25th film of the Bond series. But, unfortunately for her, the franchise will remain masculine, with scenes of hardcore drinking and sex, until the departure of Daniel Craig.
Lashana Lynch stars as first female "00" agent in No Time to Die (©: Instagram/ James Bond 007)
Despite his retirement from MI6, James Bond will still remain the lead character of the movie, and Lynch's Nomi will probably play his sidekick or the "Bond girl" in the film.
No Time To Die: Premise, Cast, Characters
The movie, which will be available in theaters in April 2020, stars a cast of talented actors with a few new cast members. The film features several casts of the preceding movie Spectre, including Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, Christoph Waltz as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Lea Seydoux as Madeleine Swann, and Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner.
Similarly, some new faces have also joined the cast, some of whom include Lashana Lynch as Nomi, Ana de Armas as Paloma, and Rami Malek as Safin. The Bohemian Rapsody star is considered the main antagonist for now, but a plot twist could divert the film to another villain.
Rami Malek plays the antagonist Safin in the upcoming Bond movie (©: IndieWire)
The film is set after James Bond's retirement from active service in MI6. The lead character gets approached by Felix Leiter (played by Jeffrey Wright)- Bond's CIA friend from Casino Royale- to rescue a kidnapped scientist. During the mission, James encounters Safin- a mysterious character with a new & advanced weapon technology.
No Time to Die is considered one of the most expensive James Bond movies with a budget of $250 million. It is only behind Spectre, which had an unofficial budget of nearly $300 million.
Will A Female "007" Lead After No Time To Die?
While the question is yet to be answered, some experts believe that the Bond franchise must make a fresh start if it wants to survive in the competitive market. And, a female Bond is certainly an option.
The issue was even discussed in a September 2018 episode of Good Morning Britain. While Piers Morgan- a co-host of the show- patronized the idea calling it absurd, Susanna Reid spoke in favor of a lady spy in the movie universe. She suggested that the character's name should be changed to either Jane Bond or Jamie Bond.
While a Bond movie with a female lead might look promising on paper, the feminist agenda is not going well with moviegoers. With all-female leads movies like Ghostbusters (2016), Ocean's 8 (2018), and Charlie's Angels (2019) not earning expected box office returns, a female Bond movie could be a risk for the producers.
But, all hope hasn't been lost yet. There are some examples of films with female protagonists ruling the box office for weeks or even months. Two such movies are Wonder Woman (2017) and Captain Marvel (2019)- which earned over $820 million and $1.1 billion worldwide, respectively.
Some critics even suggest that although a movie can be made with a female character as an MI6 spy, it won't be a Bond movie anymore as it would defeat the purpose of the franchise.