Which James Bond characters could have more time than they think in No Time To Die? Delayed due to the state of the world at present, No Time To Die is currently scheduled to release in November, and is confirmed to be Daniel Craig's final James Bond movie. Beginning with 2005's Casino Royale, Craig helped revitalize the franchise, pulling 007 into the modern era in a clean break from the past. Not every modern James Bond entry has been a bona fide hit (sorry, Quantum of Solace) but, generally speaking, Craig's interpretation of Ian Fleming's iconic British agent has been a runaway success.
Many suspected 2015's Spectre would be the current Bond's swansong. After all, Daniel Craig did say he'd rather cut his wrists than do another one. But after much Idris Elba-themed speculation, the man once deemed too blond to be Bond agreed to one more mission. No Time To Die brings an aging James out of retirement to take down the villainous Safin, and the stakes are both personal and global. Safin's masterplan threatens to kill millions, but Rami Malek's character also has a mysterious personal connection to Bond through Madeleine Swann.
Compared to past eras of 007, the current James Bond movies are far more serialized, existing within their own run of continuity. As such, No Time To Die could take the bold step of killing off James Bond and other major characters, since the narrative will surely be rebooted for Bond 26 regardless. With so much on the line, here are the most likely characters to fall foul of No Time To Die's swinging ax.
James Bond
The big talking point heading into No Time To Die is, naturally, whether or not James Bond himself will survive until the end. Arguably, Daniel Craig's entire arc as 007 has built towards a tragic finale. No Time To Die makes no secret that Craig's Bond is somewhat of a dinosaur in this closing chapter, replaced by Lashana Lynch's Nomi, who takes great delight in pointing out her predecessor's aging body. Bond's fitness for duty was first called into question during Skyfall, and with the veteran spy retired in No Time To Die, the possibility of Daniel Craig's Bond ending his story on MI6's books is virtually non-existent. With that said, the very premise of No Time To Die proves that peaceful retirement isn't an option for James either. If Bond can't continue doing what he does best, but also can't escape his life of violence, death looks to be the only option.
The death of James Bond would undoubtedly be a seismic and controversial move for No Time To Die. Never before has 007 been "regenerated" on the big screen, with one actor simply giving way to the next in a continuous succession of shaken martinis and bad puns. But as mentioned previously, the Daniel Craig Bond movies have been a self-contained story with a clear beginning and end. Bond's death would draw a definitive line under the current era, and allow Craig's replacement to start afresh without a shadow hanging overhead. Casino Royale started a James Bond revolution, with almost every facet of the franchise updated for a modern audience. Although killing off Bond would be a shocking moment, the death would sit neatly alongside every other major change Daniel Craig's era has made, and if executed correctly, could become a defining cinematic moment.
Madeleine Swann
James Bond wasn't the only one foolish enough to believe they could retire to Italy and live happily ever after. After meeting in Spectre, Bond and Madeleine Swann fall in love and spend a happy 5 years together before the events of No Time To Die, but both have skeletons in their closets that threaten to call time on that idyllic peace. As revealed in Spectre, Swann is the daughter of former villain, Mr. White, and was once a target of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. After Bond apprehended Christoph Waltz's villain, viewers assumed Madeleine's past had been buried, but there are evidently more ghosts only now bubbling to the surface. While the details remain unknown, Swann harbors a deadly secret and a history with Safin, who is now looking for revenge on Bond's lover.
No Time To Die is portraying Madeleine as a tragic figure. The mask Safin presents to her, and the "forgive me" note she leaves for James conjure the Shakespearean image of someone reluctantly going to meet their inevitable fate, despite knowing the doom it'll bring. Madeleine enjoyed a few happy, stolen years with Bond, but now must atone for whatever transpired between herself and Safin in the past. Léa Seydoux's character goes beyond the stereotype of a "Bond girl," but 007's love interests have a shockingly poor survival rate, even in the modern era, and some might suggest Madeleine Swann has already done well to reach a second film. As bloody as No Time To Die may be, it's hard to imagine Bond and Swann being killed off. If 007 goes down, it'll likely be in an attempt to protect his lover, preventing the fate that befell Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. If Bond survives, however, Madeleine's prospects start to look bleaker.
Safin
Villains are always more likely to meet a fatal end than protagonists, and this is certainly true of Rami Malek's Safin. The current Bond hasn't always left his enemies in cold blood. In Casino Royale, Le Chiffre was offed by Mr. White, who himself survived all the way through to Spectre, eventually taking his own life after being poisoned by Blofeld. Although Bond left Quantum of Solace's Dominic Greene stranded in the desert, he too was killed by his own organization. Meanwhile, Ernst Stavro Blofeld was taken into British custody, ensuring Christoph Waltz could return in a future film. The only main antagonist Daniel Craig's Bond personally kills is Raoul Silva in Skyfall, throwing a knife into the villain's back in order to protect M. So, while it's easy to envision No Time To Die ending after Bond kills Safin, that scenario is far from nailed down.
Since No Time To Die is the final installment in this era of James Bond, there's no need to "save" Safin for future use, as the franchise did with Blofeld previously. Furthermore, it's highly unlikely that Safin answers to a higher power or a shady organization. The time for such teasing and world-building is over, meaning Safin won't be assassinated by disgruntled employers like Le Chiffre, Mr. White and Dominic Greene were. This leaves the door firmly open for Bond to do the deed himself - a fitting end considering Safin will be the final villain Daniel Craig faces in his espionage career.
Q
The final chapter of any long-running story always carries the potential for tragic deaths that fire up the hero ahead of their final battle. Whether it be Dobby in Harry Potter, Black Widow in Avengers: Endgame, or Professor X in Logan, the death of a beloved character is an effective way of raising the stakes ahead of the third act finale, conveying the necessary gravity and threat to a teary audience. Unfortunately, this means Q, M and Moneypenny should be looking over their shoulders in No Time To Die, with Q the most likely victim. James Bond already played its "killing M" card with Judi Dench's character in Skyfall, and to repeat the trick in 2020 would suffer diminishing returns. MI6 would just find the next suitably qualified candidate whose surname begins with M and continue their business. The death of Moneypenny would pack a more emotive punch, but fans have already seen Naomie Harris' character as a field agent, more than capable of handling herself. Because of this, her death wouldn't jerk tears quite as much as Q's.
Played by Ben Whishaw, MI6's Quartermaster is a timid, unassuming geek whose natural habitat is an underground lab surrounded by gadgets and computers. The few occasions Q has ventured into the field he's looked decidedly uncomfortable and out of his depth - being pursued by SPECTRE agents on a ski lift, for example. This insecurity would make Q's death all the more tragic, both for Bond, and for the audience. No Time To Die needs to make viewers hate Safin, and killing Q; funny, smart, lovable Q, would put immediate heat on the villain. Like M, Q is a title handed down from one person to the next, so his death wouldn't attract the controversy that comes with killing an established Bond character. MI6 can find a new Quartermaster soon enough. It just won't be the same.
Paloma
Returning to the common theme of Bond girls dying, Ana de Armas' Paloma is at considerably more risk than Madeleine Swann. Whereas Swann is integral to the overarching narrative, Paloma is a new addition to James Bond and, therefore, considerably more expendable. A CIA colleague of Felix Leiter, Paloma accompanies Bond when he returns to the spy life, and she appears to be both a capable agent and a formidable combatant. Unfortunately, it's usually these types of fleeting 007 associates that meet a grizzly end - Solange Dimitrios, Strawberry Fields, Sévérine, and that's just in the Daniel Craig era. Paloma seems to fit the bill perfectly as a female character killed in the line of aiding James Bond.
Slimming Paloma's chances of survival further is the character's reported personality. According to de Armas herself, Paloma is "irresponsible" and a fresh recruit to the CIA. Working with James Bond is an occupational hazard at the best of times, but for a light-hearted rookie with a sense of humor, it's practically a death sentence. Interestingly, the No Time To Die trailers only show Paloma in a single setting, adding fuel to the fire that she won't last long.
Felix Leiter
An outside pick, but there's reason to believe that Jeffrey Wright's Felix Leiter could succumb to the reaper in No Time To Die. There isn't an abundance of information currently available about Felix's role in No Time To Die, but it's clear the CIA man is responsible for dragging James Bond back into the hustle and bustle of the spy world. In trailer footage, Felix is seen asking Bond for a favor, with the former 007 then meeting up with Paloma to begin the mission. Evidently, Felix's "favor" turns into a fully-fledged comeback for James Bond, but it's not clear what drives Craig's character back into the arms of MI6 in such a big way. While the Madeleine Swann scandal could play a part, another motivating factor could be Felix's death.
Bond dips his toe back into the murky waters of the secret service as a personal favor to Felix, but something makes him strip off and jump right in the deep end. If Felix were killed for his involvement in whatever he asks Bond to investigate, James would no doubt feel compelled to complete his friend's work and get to the bottom of Leiter's demise, which could act as a gateway towards Safin and an awkward team-up with Nomi back at MI6. Leiter is a minor enough character in James Bond mythology to kill off without significant ramifications, but liked enough by fans to provide a first act shock and set the tone for events to come in No Time To Die.
