Many franchises in Hollywood’s history have had trouble including truly great female characters into their storylines. While the 007 movies have introduced tons of “Bond Women” throughout its almost 60-year history, most of them have basically been leggy model-types brought to screen to rouse and distract James Bond in the series. With the upcoming 25th movie No Time To Die, the moment is finally shifting.
Along with Naomie Harris returning to play Moneypenny and Leá Seydoux reprising Madeleine Swann, Captain Marvel’s Lashana Lynch is rumored to be inheriting the 007 designation as Daniel Craig’s character retires from spy work. When James Bond is brought back into the action anyway, he’ll also have Ana de Armas (Blade Runner 2049) by his side. Wait… is No Time To Die leaving Bond in the minority gender-wise? Ana de Armas comments on the new “Bond Women” with these words:
It's pretty obvious that there is an evolution in the fact that Lashana is one of the main characters in the film and wears the pants — literally. I wear the gown. She wears the pants.
If the 007 label is being passed over to a woman, it doesn’t mean she’ll start dressing impractically! Ana de Armas shared some excitement in the fact that her co-star Lashana Lynch is a key character in No Time To Die who has a dominant role in the happenings of the spy flick and literally wears pants. You know, in case you were wondering. Well, we’ve never seen a female 007, so it’s good to know a little about what to expect!
The most notable impact to No Time To Die is the fact that Killing Eve and Fleabag writer Phoebe Waller-Bridge has script credit on the movie. She’s not only the first woman to write material for a Bond film since Johanna Harwood’s work on Dr. No and From Russia With Love back in the ‘60s, she’s Phoebe Waller freaking Bridge. If you too have found yourself suddenly four episodes deep into BBC series Killing Eve, you know how much the stakes are raised with her on board.
Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas certainly felt it when told THR how hard they fangirled over the writer when they met her for their recent cover interview. Captain Marvel’s Maria Rambeau felt she had some ownership for her No Time To Die, sharing the creatives were responsive to her adding her own perspective to the British agent. Here’s what Lynch said of her character:
I didn't want someone who was slick. I wanted someone who was rough around the edges and who has a past and a history and has issues with her weight and maybe questions what's going on with her boyfriend.
On the flipside, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with wearing a gown in a Bond movie, and Ana de Armas gets to do this in No Time To Die. The actress soon starring in Rian Johnson’s star-studded Knives Out described her character as such:
[Paloma] is a character that is very irresponsible. She's got this bubbliness of someone who is excited to be on a mission, but she plays with this ambiguity — you don't really know if she's like a really trained, prepared partner for Bond… She's very smart. She helps Bond navigate through certain things that he wouldn't be able to do alone.
Aside from these dynamic new characters, No Time To Die will additionally be Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond as he faces off against Rami Malek’s villain character in the Cary Joji Fukunaga-directed action movie. It comes to theaters on April 8, 2020.
