No Time to Die director Cary Fukunaga confirms the film's time jump following Spectre. When audiences last saw Daniel Craig's version of James Bond, he was riding off with his newfound love Madeleine Swann, seemingly setting off to enjoy a peaceful life in retirement. Of course, nothing comes that easy for 007, and he'll be called into action one more time in the upcoming No Time to Die. The film sees Bond agree to help his old friend Felix Leiter, embarking on a dangerous mission that pits him against the villainous SafinNo Time to Die marks Craig's final appearance as Bond.

The movie's marketing has made a point to illustrate how the world of espionage has drastically changed since Bond was last in the field, highlighting the fact 007 is no longer a younger man. Working alongside new MI6 agent Nomi, Bond needs to get reacclimated with his old profession quickly or risks being left behind. And now, fans know just how long James has been out of things when No Time to Die begins.

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In a new No Time to Die featurette posted on the James Bond 007 YouTube channel, Fukunaga mentions Bond has been retired for five years. This means No Time to Die essentially picks up in real time after Spectre, which premiered in 2015. Watch the full video in the space below:

The sizable gap between Spectre and No Time to Die in the franchise timeline makes sense, and sets the stage for some interesting narrative possibilities. It allows Fukunaga and company to incorporate Craig's own age into the story (the actor will turn 52 before No Time to Die releases), crafting a film about an older man answering the call one last time. In some respects, that aspect makes Bond a fish-out-of-water type in No Time to Die, as he'll have some catching up to do learning how his line of work has evolved. There's definitely potential to mine lots of humor out of that situation (in the No Time to Die trailer, Nomi jokes about shooting the one working knee Bond has), but it could also be the source of a poignant character arc where Bond overcomes adversity and proves himself once more before permanently retiring. Skyfall admittedly covered somewhat similar territory, so hopefully Fukunaga was able to put a fresh spin on things.

What sets No Time to Die apart from the previous Bond films is that it's being billed as the last adventure for Craig's iteration of the character. That means the movie will likely have a greater sense of finality than the earlier installments, closing the book on this era for the franchise before another actor assumes the role. In that sense, it'll be interesting to see how the creative team goes about definitively ending Craig's tenure. Some fans are convinced No Time to Die advertising hints Bond will die in the movie, though there are other ways to send a character off and still keep him alive.

More: What Billie Eilish's James Bond Theme Song Reveals About the No Time to Die Story

Source: James Bond 007

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