The first trailer for No Time to Die, Daniel Craig's final James Bond film, is officially released online. Craig first played the iconic role of 007 in 2006's Casino Royale, reprising the super spy in four additional movies. To say the actor's tenure as Bond has been a roller coaster would be a bit of an understatement; Casino Royale and Skyfall are widely thought of as two of the best installments in the entire franchise, but Quantum of Solace and Spectre were considered disappointments. With No Time to Die marking the end of Craig's run, the hope is it sends the star off on a high note.
Bond 25 had a troubled road to production, losing original director Danny Boyle over creative differences and undergoing a script rewrite. Those developments likely made fans feel uneasy about the film's prospects, but when Cary Fukunaga took over as helmsman, the project remained on course for its April 2020 premiere (despite Craig missing time due to an ankle injury). To date, most of what fans have seen of Bond 25 are set photos revealing Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Lashana Lynch in action gear, but now a theatrical preview has been released.
Today, the first No Time to Die trailer debuted. You can watch it for yourself in the space below:
The trailer provides a classic mix of 007 intrigue and action, teasing plenty of elaborate set pieces and some tantalizing mysteries for Bond to unpack (including Madeleine Swann's secret). It appears during his retirement, the world of espionage has left Bond behind, and old James will need to do his best to keep up with the changes. In particular, that means pairing up with Lashana Lynch's Nomi, a new 00 agent who's been on the job for a couple of years. Rumors have been swirling No Time to Die is positioning Lynch to move into the franchise lead now that Craig's tenure is over, and the teases in this trailer will only add fuel to that speculation. In the (admittedly brief) glimpse from the trailer, Lynch looks more than capable in the role and has a fun dynamic with Craig. Also, on the heels of the hit whodunnit Knives Out, it's nice to see Ana de Armas working alongside Craig again in another film so soon.
Of course, no Bond installment is complete without villains, so the trailer makes sure to highlight No Time to Die's antagonists. The footage confirms earlier reports Christoph Waltz is returning as Blofeld (following his debut in Spectre), so it'll be interesting to see how he fits into the story. Fans also get a look at Rami Malek's Safin, a super villain who's said to "get under Bond's skin." Craig's iteration of 007 has faced off against some compelling foes, including Le Chiffre and Silva. Hopefully, Safin will be able to live up to the high bar of those enemies, helping end Craig's run as Bond on a high note.
Source: MGM/Universal
