According to the movie's producers, Daniel Craig's last outing as James Bond in No Time to Die will conclude the character's emotional arc that began with Casino Royale. Craig was launched as the sleek 007 Agent in the 2006 film based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel published in 1953. It follows Bond's early days as the British spy when he's assigned to bankrupt a terrorist financier in a high-stakes poker game. He falls in love with treasury officer Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), who tragically dies at the end of the film.

Casino Royale's plot began a story arc that has continued in Craig's succeeding Bond films: Quantum of Solace (2008)Skyfall (2012)and Spectre (2015). No Time to Die is the franchise's 25th Bond movie and the last one with Craig as the iconic secret agent. Ralph Fiennes, Léa Seydoux, and Christoph Waltz also return as their characters from the previous films, with Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch, and Ana de Armas joining the cast. No Time to Die will pick up from the events of Spectre, after Bond finds out that his adoptive brother is behind the international criminal syndicate out to get him.

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While producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson are careful not to give away spoilers, the two revealed that the latest Bond movie will wrap up the character's emotional journey. In an interview with Total FilmWilson noted how the last five films starring Craig have been connected like a miniseries within the franchise. Broccoli said that No Time to Die will provide a fitting ending to what 2006's Casino Royale has started.

This film feels like a good bookend to Casino, because his emotional evolution gets to a place where we’ve never seen Bond before. So that’s pretty exciting.

Daniel Craig as James Bond

Unlike in the previous James Bond eras, when each movie had a standalone plot, Craig's outings had connected storylines that allowed the saga to present the character more deeply. It began with Casino Royale when the love of his life died after he thought she had betrayed him. Bond's romance with Vesper Lynd, while short-lived, definitely left a great impact on the series. It seems this theme will be further explored in No Time to Die.

Having this continuity between movies gives Craig the freedom to portray the role differently than his predecessors. His version is a Bond who is more relatable as a person by showing more vulnerability and emotions. As he takes his final bow with No Time to DieCraig leaves the iconic franchise with this special legacy. It's unclear whether producers will continue to adopt this manner of storytelling when the film series finally appoints a new Bond. However, one thing is certain; whoever takes on the mantle as the new 007 will have big shoes to fill.

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Source: Total Film

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