James Bond as a Father Would Benefit the Next 007 Movie

2021’s No Time to Die ended Daniel Craig’s run as the face of the James Bond franchise, and although it’s incredibly unlikely he’ll ever come back as 007, Craig’s era can directly influence the next movie in the franchise. Currently, only referred to as the generic-sounding James Bond 26, the upcoming installment does have a director (Denis Villeneuve) and writer (Steven Knight), but details beyond that are incredibly scarce. The next actor to play Bond himself hasn’t even been announced yet.

Craig became increasingly vocal about his distaste for playing James Bond, but did give the fans what they wanted by continuing to stay on as 007. This way, his iteration of the iconic superspy was given a more rewarding arc and a satisfying ending. The ending of No Time to Die made Craig’s Bond especially unique among his peers because his was the only version of the character to meet his end. This brought a concrete air of finality to the Daniel Craig era, but it’s actually another element of his final Bond movie that could (and should) impact his successor’s time as the franchise’s leading man.

‘No Time to Die’ Barely Explored the Concept of James Bond as a Father

Bond’s death in the 2021 movie wasn’t the only way Craig’s era trailblazed within the larger 007 saga. As well as his character being the first version to perish, he was also the first to father a child. Mathilde Swann (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet) was introduced in No Time to Die as Bond’s daughter. It was a revelation that surprised both the audience and the movie’s protagonist. A major part of James Bond as a character is his lack of personal attachments. He lives and breathes his job, and most people he knows who also end up in the line of fire find themselves there due to professional obligations. Even when this isn’t the case, the connection between Bond and the other figure(s) is always pretty flimsy in the grand scheme of things, but that’s by design.

Mathilde’s introduction completely changed all that. Instead of just thinking about the safety of himself and his nation’s security, Bond was forced to consider how his actions could impact his daughter. It was a fascinating twist that allowed audiences to view the character in a new light, facing obstacles that had never previously needed to be considered. Although his decision to sacrifice himself to save Mathilde was the perfect chance for Craig to make his exit as James Bond and provide an emotional finale to his era, it’s a huge shame that seeing Bond as a father was such a fleeting storyline. If Craig had chosen to remain as Bond, even just one more movie could have explored his new role even further.

James Bond’s Next Era Should Borrow From ‘No Time to Die’s James Bond Fatherhood Twist

United Artists Releasing/Universal Pictures

James Bond 26 most likely won’t begin with its new version of the main character as a dad. He’s more traditionally known as a slick bachelor superspy who can operate without the threat of his enemies targeting his family. So, it’s safe to assume that whoever is cast as the next 007 will initially be playing James Bond as he’s commonly portrayed. However, with all of Ian Fleming’s Bond novels already adapted, the movies have already turned to original scripts that were simply inspired by the late author’s work rather than being adaptations of literary source material. The same will probably happen with Bond 26 and its inevitable sequels.

With James Bond so thoroughly explored as a character through the decades, it makes sense that No Time to Die started to toy with concepts that would previously have never been included. Making Bond a father transforms his motivations, giving audiences something new rather than the same thing we’ve seen 25 times. No Time to Die was really onto something with the Mathilde twist, so it would be great to see the franchise revisit it in the years to come – even if only eventually. It would probably feel more effective if the new Bond became a parent down the line as Craig did, but then the arc didn’t come to a halt.

The Next Bond Having a Child Would Create a Familiar 007 Continuity Quirk

MGM

James Bond continuity is something of a narrative minefield, at least it was before Daniel Craig’s era. All the previous Bonds could technically have been playing the same character as he moved through his life, or they could have all been leading their own reboots. Neither has ever been officially confirmed nor denied, and there aren’t enough clues to arrive at a definitive answer. Craig’s era was the hardest reboot the franchise had known, making 2006’s Casino Royale the perfect starting point, with all previous movies becoming completely optional viewing.

James Bond 26 will almost definitely repeat what Casino Royale did and reset the canon, leaving just the general facts of the world intact. The potential issue with this is that if the next 007 eventually has a child as well, especially a daughter, then the next era could end up feeling like some kind of vague extension of No Time to Die and Craig’s time as Bond in general. After all, it’s a storyline that’s so unique to Daniel Craig’s 007. While this wouldn’t be ideal, it’s also sort of just a tradition at this point that the franchise’s timeline should always be almost charmingly confusing. In other words, it’s okay if No Time to Die feels like it’s being referenced by the next Bond having a child – it’s just important to remember that it’s not really.