Warning: SPOILERS for No Time To Die are in play. Once you read them, they can’t be taken back. So if you want to go in unspoiled, this is your official warning to turn back.
One of the hot topics leading up to No Time To Die’s theatrical release was the supposedly deadly secret of Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux). A good portion of the time waiting for the movie to finally be released to the public has been dedicated to trying to figure out just what this “daughter of SPECTRE” has been hiding. Since No Time To Die has officially concluded the Daniel Craig era of James Bond movies, we pretty much have all the answers to any question we could ever ask about the movie.
This includes all of the details that spell out just what Dr. Madeleine Swann’s big secret happens to be. This is the last chance you’ll get to turn back and avoid spoilers for No Time To Die. For those of you sticking around, it’s time to finally uncover the mystery that posed such a threat to James Bond’s life.
What Is Dr. Madeleine Swann’s Big Secret?
The world-changing secret of Dr. Madeleine Swann stems from No Time To Die’s pre-credits sequence, where Madeleine and James Bond (Daniel Craig) are about to start their lives together. Taking place right after Spectre, the couple’s idyllic vacation to Matera, Italy is about letting the past go. But before long, SPECTRE is wreaking havoc, causing James to question whether Madeleine can be trusted. Which prevents her from breaking the big news she was about to reveal: she’s pregnant with their child.
Five years pass between Spectre and No Time To Die, and all this time Madeleine has been raising a daughter named Mathilde (Lisa-Dorah Sonnet). Resuming her psychiatric practice, that quiet life is only waiting to be disrupted, as a patient of Dr. Swann’s is Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). She’s the only person he’ll officially talk to, which puts her in the crosshairs of an old acquaintance: Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), the man who killed her mother, spared her life and became obsessed with his would-be target.
The Origins Of Safin’s Obsession With Madeleine
Lyutsifer Safin becomes obsessed with the idea that, upon sparing Madeleine her life, she “belongs” to him. As he couldn’t bring himself to kill her during No Time To Die’s chilling pre-titles flashback, Safin spares Léa Seydoux’s character, but in turn fixates on her for some time to come. On the surface, Dr. Madeleine Swann’s access to Ernst Stavro Blofeld is of primary importance, as Safin wants to use her to kill him with the newly-purloined Project Heracles.
However, there’s another motive that sees No Time To Die’s antagonist acting when it comes to the subject of Madeleine. Ready to unleash Heracles upon the world, Madeleine is meant to stay as Safin’s captive. In a sense, Safin is building a new family by capturing Dr. Swann, as they are both children orphaned by SPECTRE’s actions. While Madeleine was open with James Bond about her traumatic childhood, perhaps telling him about the masked man that saved her from freezing to death would have been a good fact to divulge.
Wait, Madeleine’s Not With SPECTRE?
After all of this time, with theories ranging from Dr. Madeleine Swann either being a secret child soldier or a psychological mastermind bent on breaking James Bond, the truth can finally be revealed. Madeleine is absolutely, 100%, not connected to SPECTRE’s operations. No Time To Die may have thrown some final curveballs, what with a henchman even calling Madeleine a “daughter of SPECTRE” and all. But besides having a father who literally worked for the organization (and killed Safin’s family in the process,) Dr. Swann isn’t on the take at all.
Much like James Bond, the audience has been gaslit by the ploy of Blofeld to paint Dr. Madeleine Swann as another person that Bond shouldn’t be able to trust. No Time To Die reveals that those rumors about Madeleine being a SPECTRE agent were just the once and future 007 having his mind screwed with by his adopted brother. Which, in turn, caused James to miss out on five years caring for his darling daughter, Mathilde.
Mathilde, The Daughter Of Madeleine Swann And James Bond
Yes, that lover’s vacation to Matera gave James Bond and Madeleine Swann more to talk about than just the weather. No Time To Die splits the couple up before Madeleine could tell James the secret she’d been intending to reveal during this trip. As intended, James was to once and for all rid himself of the memory of the late Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) so that the two could have a future together. Part of that future being the news that Madeleine alludes to when put on a train, with it looking at the time that she'll never seen Bond again.
With a quick grasp of her stomach upon learning that James Bond is sending her away, those rumors from the No Time To Die set seemed to be proven correct. So when James and Madeleine embrace for the first time in five years, and we see a young blue-eyed girl interrupt, we pretty much knew what was up. Though Madeleine told him that Mathilde wasn’t his, she ultimately confirms that James is the father when she admits that their daughter does have his eyes. This happens right before he’s blown apart by the explosive volley unleashed by the HMS Dragon, proving Blofeld right in his proclamation that “once her secret finds its way to you, it’ll be the death of you.”
How Madeleine Swann’s Secrets Killed James Bond
Madeleine Swann’s secrets in No Time To Die directly lead to the death of James Bond, albeit through no sinister means. This is thanks to Safin’s infatuation with Madeleine motivating him to create his “insurance policy,” which is a bespoke variant of Project Heracles that would ensure James Bond would never come near her or Matilde again. Acting as the darkest reflection of James Bond’s “at all costs” personality, Safin ensures his revenge against Bond is eternal, as once Project Heracles is in your bloodstream, it never leaves.
Which moves us to the literal death that Madeleine’s secrets pretty much ensured for James Bond. No Time To Die sees Commander Bond left with the ultimate choice after killing Safin, who infected him with that very special blend of Project Heracles. Knowing he’ll not only never be able to see Madeleine or Mathilde again, and even if he leaves the island, the nanobot infection will eventually circulate their way, Bond allows himself to be incinerated. Were he to have lived, James would always be a threat to Madeleine and Mathilde in every sense of the word.
James Bond never had a problem finding a cause to fight for, or a family of MI6 employees to call compatriots. But his greatest duty ultimately came down to saving Madeleine, the love of his life, and Mathilde, his daughter who could have the life he never had. While Dr. Madeleine Swann’s secrets killed James Bond, his death was not out of spite or defeat, but honor. Not all hidden truths that kill come from dark places, and if he had to die for something, Commander Bond chose the best death possible.
Just because Madeleine Swann’s secrets are out doesn’t mean that No Time To Die is completely decoded. Those of you who have seen the film already, or decided to read through this dossier in order to learn those secrets beforehand, may be learn more in the days to come. So be sure to check your local listings and see when you can schedule your date with 007 destiny.
