In Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond in No Time To Die, the suave secret agent is seen to have perished in an explosion at the end of the film. This symbolically also heralded the end of the Craig reign in the franchise with the search for the new James Bond still underway. But if the history of the character is anything to go by, there are many plausible theories that could still keep Craig’s 007 spy alive.
While the Bond films have seen many near-death experiences for the titular character to facilitate the introduction of a new actor in the role, No Time to Die was the first time that Bond’s death was a tangible reality. But new theories based on events from Craig’s blockbuster Skyfall indicate the protagonist could well and truly be breathing in some corner of the world.
How Skyfall Could Prove That James Bond Is Still Alive
No Time to Die was Daniel Craig’s swansong as James Bond which saw the character directly encountering death for the first time despite being in disastrous positions that have threatened his life many times. But the million dollar question that is now being asked is ‘Is Bond really dead’? A few theories hint that Craig’s protagonist too, like his predecessors, could have famously escaped death.
In the climax of No Time to Die, James Bond is seen succumbing to an explosion on an island in the ultimate sacrifice to keep his lover and their daughter Mathilde safe from a lethal virus that he is infected with. According to a theory in Screen Rant, there is still a way that the character could have escaped this seemingly impossible fate if incidents from Craig’s Skyfall can be analyzed.
While James Bond is seen as the gold standard for all secret agents, he is also traditionally known to crave an anonymous and peaceful life of retirement. This desire is the seed that sets of the initial events of Skyfall when the character fakes his death while on an important mission. This also hinted at Bond’s reluctance to be answerable to MI6 even as the agency has always found ways to bring back their most successful agent albeit against his will.
If retirement and family are still defining factors in Bond’s life, the theory believes that the character would go to any lengths to ensure that he can be reunited with the two loves of his life whom he seemingly left behind in No Time To Die. This would include cleverly feigning his death to finally create a life he desired.
Another simpler and more straightforward explanation puts the secret agent’s supreme swimming ability as a factor that could counter an exploding island. In addition, there is also the bleak possibility that being underwater could have saved Bond from the fires of the explosion.
The Reason Behind The Wait For The Next James Bond
One of the biggest decisions that is still being anticipated eagerly in Hollywood is the casting of the next actor who will play James Bond. Though it has been two years since Daniel Craig hung up his boots, producer Barbara Broccoli has revealed that she is in no big hurry or pressure to make the next choice. In a statement to Reuters in 2022, Broccoli elaborated on her reasons behind taking it slow and said,
“We won’t actually be really looking for an actor for some time. What we have to do is start a whole new reinvention, which is what’s exciting about being at this place now.”
It has been a year and a half since this interview, and the hunt for James Bond is still on. But knowing Broccoli’s penchant for perfection and her desire to bring in additional nuances to the character’s personality, fans will be eager to see her vision come to light.
