There are long running franchises, and then there's James Bond. 007 has been enthralling audiences for decades, and is showing no signs of slowing down.
Cary Joji Fukunaga's No Time To Die is the whopping 25th installment in the property, and Daniel Craig's swan song as Bond. The blockbuster will feature characters old and new, including Lashana Lynch's newcomer Nomi. The character was rumored to be the next 007 in the movie, which inspired some backlash. And now Lynch has officially responded.
Lashana Lynch had her biggest break yet earlier this year, playing the role of Maria Rambeau in Captain Marvel. But she'll enter another major franchise with No Time to Die, especially if the rumors about Nomi being 007 come to fruition. While she didn't give a definitive answer in a recent interview, she instead addressed the anger directed at her when those rumors started circulating. As she put it:
It doesn't dishearten me. It makes me feel quite sad for some people because their opinions, they're not even from a mean place — they're actually from a sad place. It's not about me. People are reacting to an idea, which has nothing to do with my life.
Well, that's a great attitude. It looks like Lashana Lynch didn't take any of the backlash to heart. She doesn't believe any of the hate is actually about her. And since the movie isn't even out, she'll likely let No Time to Die speak for itself.
Lashana Lynch's comments to THR shows a real maturity, and the ability to separate herself from any fan reactions. Given the state of social media, its more easy than ever for moviegoers to directly communicate with filmmakers. And when they're unhappy, the voices are all the more powerful. Still, Lynch doesn't think the issue is actually about her, but about the individual fans who reach out in anger.
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It should be interesting to see exactly what Cary Joji Fukunaga has in store for No Time to Die, and if the rumors about the character Nomi come to fruition. The early report was that Lashana Lynch's character would take on the codename 007, after James Bond went into retirement. This isn't to say that she'll necessarily be leading upcoming Bond franchises, but the idea of a female 007 was the subject of some controversy when the rumors started swirling. We'll just have to wait and see if they're true.
The stakes are high or No Time to Die, as it'll be Daniel Craig's last time as James Bond. The movie needs to give him an appropriate ending, built upon the events of the previous film. Craig's tenure as 007 came with a more serialized storytelling, so it'll be interesting to se how deeply it's connected to the previous four installments.
No Time to Die will hit theaters on April 8th, 2020. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your last trips to the movies this year.
