'No Time to Die': Why must James Bond die in Daniel Craig's final run as iconic spy?
In Daniel Craig's timeline as the iconic spy, there's been a metamorphosis. He went from a shoot-first-ask-questions-later spy to a more humane version of the character. Over the years, he became more Bond-like, the type we're used to imagining from Ian Fleming's novels. And in his final outing as the titular character, it only seems fitting that he dies, so the franchise can reboot again — with a new Bond, and a fresh storyline. Bond will be reborn but much like Logan before he became Wolverine, he must die. Here’s a quick look at Craig’s portrayal of James Bond.
2006: Daniel Craig's James Bond, a savage killing machine gets his '00' status in 'Casino Royale'. Celebrates by blowing up an embassy in Madagascar among other things.
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2008: Bond is gunning for revenge after his lover, Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) was killed in 'Casino Royale'. The trail leads him to Dominic Greene, a member of Quantum, a nefarious criminal organization.
2012: 'Skyfall' delves into Bond's personal life. Gives the world a look at his Scotland home and his greatest mentor in Judi Dench's M. His mission sees him investigating an attack on MI6 that leads to a wider plot by former agent Raoul Silva to discredit and kill M as revenge for abandoning him during his spying days.
2015: It's Bond vs Spectre, a global organization led by Ernst Stavo Blofeld that intends to launch a national surveillance network to mastermind criminal activities across the globe. He also falls in love with Dr Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) and pretty much hangs up his boots as the greatest spy to have ever lived.
2021: James Bond is pulled out of retirement in 'No Time to Die', and he's up against a dangerous terrorist who intends to cause global destruction just because he wants to.
Craig may not be the best Bond, but he's the Bond for the new generation. There's no Pierce Brosnan's boyish "'Mojito?" charm, there's none of Sean Connery's panache, definitely not much of Roger Moore's wisecracks, or thankfully, Timothy Dalton's expressionless face. Craig's Bond is the sort you wouldn't want to trifle with. He's not the bloke who fires a bullet from a pen, he prefers to use his fists and wring your neck. He's someone who over time, pondered over the woman he woke up next to, and more importantly, he gave an inkling that Bond could die.
It's hard to not draw parallels with Tony Stark, Marvel's venerated superhero and one for the ages. And the storyline is pretty similar to 'Avengers: Endgame.' It ends with him making the ultimate sacrifice and there's no coming back. Marvel has moved on, so has the world. Death will complete Craig's journey as Bond and prepare the world for a new British messiah who will drive the Aston Martin. This new Bond could be a he or a she, could be an American, or a Latino, Black or White, but there will be another Bond.
From all the critic reviews that have been pouring out on the internet, it's clear in which direction it's going: Craig's final swansong ends with him riding off into the proverbial sunset. He's getting a life, and it's in another dimension. Having played Bond for well over a decade, 15 to be precise, Craig is now the longest-serving Bond. So 'No Time to Die' already has an end-of-an-era-like feel to it. From the trailers and the thoughts of these critics, it appears that Bond just might not make it out of this one for a Vodka Martini by the end of the day, but he's done what he does best —save the world, and look cool while at it.
'No Time to Die' releases October 8 in the US.