Warning: SPOILERS for No Time To Die are absolutely in play. If you haven’t seen the movie yet, feel free to save this list until after you’ve caught up. In the meantime, there’s plenty of No Time To Die related content for you to enjoy, spoiler-free.
As a capstone to Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond, No Time To Die was a fitting end to the current run of 007 thrills. However, in its efforts to pay tribute to past history in the Bond franchise, co-writer/director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s film is also a bit of a museum of easter eggs and callbacks to entries both classic and modern. This is a last call for those looking to avoid spoilers, as we’re going to go deep with the secrets No Time To Die hid in plain sight.
The Last Resting Place Of Vesper Lynd
Right from the beginning, No Time To Die gets things started when it comes to wrapping up the arc that started with Casino Royale. Upon the urging of Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), we see James Bond visit the grave of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in order to let go of the past. In this moment, we see a photo of Vesper on her burial plot, as well as hear David Arnold’s “Vesper,” her theme from Casino Royale, during Bond’s heartbreaking goodbye.
Dr. No Time To Die
While the rumors that Rami Malek’s Lyutsifer Safin was a new spin on Dr. No turned out to be false, the 1962 franchise originator did see some nods. Not only was No Time To Die set partially in Jamaica, the setting of that first film and the home of Ian Fleming’s own villa, but the opening titles tipped their hat to Dr. No as well. After Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux) is sent away on a train that will separate her from her beloved James, a sequence of colored dots that are reminiscent of the very first title sequence in James Bond history appear to kick off the opening to No Time To Die.
Close, But No Cigar, Mr. Bond
As James returns from a productive day of fishing in No Time To Die, he sees tell-tale signs that a cigar smoker has visited his residence. Assumed to be a sign that Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) is in town, we see that the brand of cigar is, according to the wrapper, a Delectado. This is a huge reference to Die Another Day, as Pierce Brosnan’s James Bond arrives in Cuba to pick up an order of that previously non-existent stogie, with that variant representing a bit of spy code for “sleeper agent.”
Cheers To Paloma
Ana de Armas almost stole the show from her No Time To Die co-stars thanks to her memorable role of Paloma. A capable agent with a penchant for drinking when she’s nervous, those “three weeks” of training clearly gave her the skills to survive. However, Paloma’s name is fitting when it comes to her nervous habit, as de Armas’ character shares her name with a very delicious tequila cocktail.
Happy Birthday, Ernst Stavro Blofeld
Now, here’s an interesting situation that may have caused die-hard Bond fans to pull a bit of a double take during No Time To Die’s big birthday party for Blofeld (Christoph Waltz.) Amidst the SPECTRE agents awaiting the angel of death intended for James Bond, there’s one man that looks oddly similar to Peter Lorre, the actor who originally played Le Chiffre in 1953’s TV adaptation of Casino Royale. While that’s not confirmed to be intended as an easter egg, thanks to Titan Books’ No Time To Die: The Making of the Film, we do know that series producer Michael G. Wilson makes yet another James Bond cameo as one of the attendees decked out in a military uniform.
The Aston Martin/007 Legacy Continues
James Bond and luxury automobile brand Aston Martin have been practically inseparable since the DB5 debuted in Goldfinger. That car in particular has popped up quite a bit in Daniel Craig’s era of Bond, as he won one in Casino Royale, with its demolition in Skyfall leading to the rebuild in Spectre. Sadly, that grey beauty was pretty dinged up after No Time to Die’s showstopping opening put the DB5 through its paces yet again. After which point, Bond switches to another classic 007 car: the Aston Martin V8, Timothy Dalton’s car loaded with “optional extras” from The Living Daylights. Though if you want to be a stickler, Dalton’s variant was the Volante model, while Craig’s is a Saloon.
A Museum Of Ms
During the scenes where we see Gareth Mallory/M (Ralph Fiennes) overseeing operations at his office at MI6, some touching tributes to his predecessors can be seen. Presented in the form of oil paintings, Dame Judi Dench’s M from the Daniel Craig era stands out as a rather effective callback in No Time To Die. But surprisingly, in another scene, actor Robert Brown’s M is commemorated in a similar fashion. Brown’s tenure ran between the Roger Moore era and Timothy Dalton’s duology of films, as the actor appeared in the role from 1983’s Octopussy through 1989’s License To Kill.
James Bond’s Inheritance
Touching upon the legacy of the woman known as Olivia Mansfield, No Time To Die sees the return of James Bond’s inheritance from M. Jack the Bulldog returns for its third appearance since 2012’s Skyfall, in a quick shot right before Bond rips the tarp off of his Aston Martin V8 Saloon. It turns out that loyalty isn’t just for humans.
A Crushing Defeat
One of the most coldblooded, and also badass, James Bond kills ever has to be when Roger Moore’s 007 kills henchman Emile Locque (Michael Gothard) in For Your Eyes Only merely by lending assistance to the forces of gravity. An act of vengeance for the murder of a friend, that kill feels like the inspiration for No Time To Die’s own moment of revenge. Daniel Craig’s Bond kills turncoat Logan Ash (Billy Magnussen) in the name of settling the score for Ash’s murder of Felix Leiter by helping an overturned Land Rover finish the job.
The Secret Life Of Q
For as much as we saw of Ben Whishaw’s Q in Daniel Craig’s James Bond run, we got an equally impressive amount of personal details covering the quartermaster’s private life. Skyfall, in particular, let us know that Q could “do more damage on my laptop sitting in my pajamas before my first cup of Earl Grey,” and also told us that he had “two cats and a mortgage.” Both lines pay off, as No Time To Die shows us Q’s apartment, complete with those two cats, in a crucial moment of assistance. And as for the pajamas? Look at what Q’s wearing on the airplane in the header photo above, from the film's third act.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Callbacks
Perhaps the largest mine for callbacks in No Time To Die, the 1969 classic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service lends tons of its DNA to Daniel Craig’s emotional swan song. The Louis Armstrong love theme to George Lazenby’s only 007 adventure is both quoted in Hans Zimmer’s cue “Matera,” and flat out played at the end of the film. John Barry’s theme for that same film also pops up in the track “Good To Have You Back,” at the moment when James Bond and M have their meeting outdoors.
But beyond the musical parallels, the line “We have all the time in the world” crops up at the beginning of the film, as foreshadowing that James and Madeleine Swann’s love affair is ill fated. Only this time, it’s Commander Bond who dies in the tragedy that ultimately separates them. Last, but not least, Safin’s big plot to use a DNA targeting weapon is oddly close to Blofeld’s “Angels of Death” scheme, where 12 brainwashed women from all over the world were supposed to deliver packages of germ warfare throughout the globe.
As you can see, No Time To Die really does feel like a celebration of all things James Bond. With callbacks and easter eggs that harken back to stories previously told, Daniel Craig's big send off is also a nice celebration of the 60 years of 007 history we're about to commemorate in 2022. If you feel like another round of this particular adventure, and want to see if you can pick up on any more hidden gems in No Time To Die, the film is either open at a theater near you, or will be rather shortly.
