No Time To Die will possibly feature James Bond's daughter, which suggests the film could potentially either revolutionize or ruin the 007 franchise. Since Casino Royale debuted Daniel Craig's rugged reinvention of James Bond, the legendary series has enjoyed somewhat of a renaissance after Pierce Brosnan's increasingly dire run almost killed it completely. Now, the 25th film in the Bond saga will see Craig donning the iconic tux for the last time, with the film reportedly introducing a number of novel ideas for the franchise.
Lashana Lynch will reportedly be playing the new 007 following Bond's retirement, while Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge was brought on to refine the script. But the most recent revelation, which is yet to be confirmed, suggests No Time To Die will feature James Bond's daughter in a potentially revolutionary development for the legendary spy series.
If No Time To Die does introduce a Bond daughter, it could either fundamentally change the character of James Bond for the better or prove disastrous for a franchise that has, for many fans, been declining with each movie since Casino Royale – widely considered to be the be the best Bond movie. According to the recent report, in No Time To Die Bond will have a five-year-old daughter named Mathilde whom he shares with Léa Seydoux's Madeleine Swann. This would mark the first time 007 has become a father in the Bond saga's almost 60-year run.
Giving James Bond a daughter provides obvious opportunities for Bond to reckon with his well-established misogynistic tendencies. In many ways, 007 has become somewhat of an anachronism in 2020, with some even arguing it's time for the Bond franchise to end. The womanising super spy who kills for MI6 is certainly not the most relevant character in modern cinema. Aside from Bond's decades-long history of viewing women as little more than objects, the franchise itself has seen a surprising number of Bond girls die - often violently. What better than a daughter to force Bond to confront his misogynistic past.
It might sound hyperbolic to suggest such a development would "revolutionize" the Bond films, but within the context of the franchise itself it would be an entirely unprecedented move. Since 1962's Dr. No, 007 has symbolized an ideal in the public consciousness. The suave spy with a licence to kill has remained an iconic figure for decades and has often been summarized as "the man men want to be and women want to be with." The character is inseparable from his womanizing, and making Bond a father would completely upend that history. Such a change would undoubtedly go a long way to updating Bond – whose previous films certainly have moments that aged poorly – for modern times, making him a more relevant figure and forcing a pop culture mainstay to get serious after almost 60 years. Perhaps Bond's daughter could even take up his mantle in future films.
But while having Bond become a father could clearly prove to be a positive development, there's also the potential for it to be major misstep for the franchise. Casino Royale managed to reinvigorate an increasingly tired series that, following the release of the abject Die Another Day, looked to be on its last legs. Much of what made the film so appealing was Craig's raw, unrefined Bond who embodied the "loose cannon" trope in a wholly original way. Casino Royale stayed true to Ian Fleming's novel, depicting Bond as a lone wolf still adapting to his "00" status. If Craig's successful first outing as Bond proves anything, perhaps it's that fans enjoy a rugged Bond that flouts the rules rather than one that rigidly adheres to real-world social change. A gritty unrefined Bond is an exciting Bond, but 007 as a dad in No Time to Die could be comparatively lame and run the risk of alienating fans who look to James Bond for escapist thrills rather than moral direction.
