The James Bond franchise is a beloved and long-running film property that has never been far from theaters. Bond's journey on the big screen spans decades, with multiple actors taking on the mantle of 007. Cary Joji Fukunaga's No Time to Die will mark Daniel Craig's fifth and final movie in the franchise, featuring a mixture of new and returning actors. One of the newcomers is Rami Malek's mysterious villain Safin-- although there is a popular fan theory that he's actually playing iconic Bond foe Dr. No. And Malek has no problem giving cryptic responses to this rumor.
Security on the James Bond franchise is notoriously tight, so Eon Productions can keep its secrets and ensure a full theatrical experience for the generations of 007 fans. And given No Time to Die's recent delay to worldwide health concerns, Rami Malek and company are going to have to keep their cards close to the chest for another set of months. Malek was recently asked about the popular Dr. No theory, and he responded with:
I would never shoot something like that down. It’s intriguing.
Well, done Rami Malek. He clearly knows his way around an interview, and found way to respond to the Dr. No rumors without actually confirming or denying the possibility. But there are months of interviews before No Time to Die hits theaters, so he'll likely be asked this same question a few more times before the long gestating blockbuster arrives in theaters.
Rami Malek's comments come from his recent conversation with Total Film magazine, and has the potential to fan the flames of those Dr. No rumors. Especially since he also admits that the movie Dr. No was the only one he watched in preparation for No Time to Die. Daniel Craig's tenure as James Bond saw the long running franchise embraced serialized storytelling for the first time. Spectre brought iconic villain Blofeld back to the property, played by Christoph Waltz. So it's not out of the question that No Time to Die could include another franchise favorite in Craig's swan song performance.
This actually isn't the first time that Rami Malek has been asked about the Dr. No fan theory. It first was brought to his attention a few weeks ago, and he seemed positively thrilled about the conversations happening online. It's for that reason that he refuses to shoot down that rumor. Instead, he's happy to stir the pot and build up anticipation until No Time to Die finally arrives in theaters.
It's been an interesting week for No Time to Die and James Bond fans. Due to global concerns about the coronavirus, the film has been delayed a number of months. This was likely in order to keep the global launch at one date, and allow for the full potential of the movie's international sales. Bond 25 has already been a long time coming, so this delay is certainly not ideal.
No Time to Die will now arrive in theaters on November 25th, in a more traditional release date for the franchise. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
