Cary Joji Fukunaga, the director of No Time to Die, has revealed that the latest entry into the long-running James Bond franchise will bring back a staple tradition in the credits sequence of the film. No Time to Die is the twenty-fifth entry in the larger Bond franchise and will mark Daniel Craig's fifth and final outing as the famed super spy. The film was initially slated to release in November 2019 but was postponed several times: first due to the departure of the initial director Danny Boyle, and then again due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Now, with theaters around the world gradually reopening, MGM has finally secured an early October release date.
Craig first debuted in the role in 2006. Since then, his Bond films have alternated between receiving strong and weak critical reviews, a pattern that started with the widely acclaimed Casino Royale. Despite the inconsistent reception toward MGM's latest entries into the Bond franchise, Craig's films have differentiated themselves from previous iterations by adopting a consistently serialized approach to storytelling. With that in mind, No Time to Die is meant to serve as a narrative capstone to Craig's 15-year tenure as 007.
Despite this fact, director Fukunaga asserts that he didn't treat No Time to Die as the last James Bond film. In a recent interview with Total Film, Fukunaga pushes against the notion that No Time to Die will be treated as a grand sendoff for Craig's version of the character, going as far as to confirm that the end credits will include the iconic "Bond will return" phrase as well. To him, No Time to Die is "just another Bond film." Fukunaga's full quote can be read below:
“No one’s trying to say some sort of long sentimental goodbye. It’s just another Bond film. The credits still say: ‘Bond will return.’ I didn’t approach it as a last film. I approached it as: What am I inheriting? What can we do to make this a little bit fresh and exciting, and subvert some of the expectations?”
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the Bond franchise is continuing after Craig's final outing. The franchise quickly became a valuable piece of IP after Dr. No in 1962 and has already recast the main character numerous times over the years. The next James Bond has yet to be cast, but there have been plenty of rumors surrounding who could take on the mantle next. Idris Elba has been a popular choice among fans with actors like Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, Richard Madden, and Regé-Jean Page also being brought into the conversation.
Clearly, the director's priorities were centered on delivering the overall best movie possible rather than obsessing over how to perfectly send off the character. In a franchise as long-running as the Bond films, it can often be difficult for new filmmakers to straddle the line between tradition and reinvention. As such, it's reassuring to see Fukunaga explicitly address this dilemma in his interviews. There is still room for the director to convey the story he wants to, while also incorporating traditions like the "Bond will return" tag in the end credits. With the film set to release in a few short months, hopefully No Time to Die will deliver a memorable last hurrah for Craig's 007.
Source: Total Film
