Ralph Fiennes hopes his M sticks around to train the next Craig's final time playing Bond. Then, per tradition, someone else will be cast in the iconic role. However, no one has been announced just yet, and that is largely because No Time to Die has struggled to make its debut.
Once upon a time, No Time to Die was scheduled for release in April 2020. When the coronavirus pandemic ballooned into a major crisis in March, the Cary Fukunaga-directed movie became the first one to switch release dates, moving to November and kicking off a tumultuous time for film studios scheduling their biggest movies. Since then, No Time to Die has endured several release date bumps, with the latest sending it to October of this year. Nevertheless, there are no plans for No Time to Die to switch to a streaming release.
Even though No Time to Die has yet to make its debut, many are already looking ahead to the future of the James Bond franchise. It's certain there will be a new 007, but it's less clear about how the ing characters will be handled. Fiennes recently spoke to GamesRadar+ and Total Film about his new Netflix movie The Dig, and he also spoke about playing M for Craig. He's loved the experience, though he's also interested in continuing on past Craig's tenure. "If anyone from Eon Films is listening, I'm very keen to continue training the new Bond," Fiennes said. "I love playing M, and I love being part of that franchise. But who knows? Things have to change. But I love working with Daniel. He's a terrific Bond. I will treasure that experience."
There is precedent for an M to stick around past their original Bond. Fiennes' predecessor, Judi Dench, started her time in the role when Pierce Brosnan was Bond and stuck around for the first part of Craig's time. With that in mind, Fiennes could easily stay on as the inscrutable M. With only three movies (including No Time to Die) under his belt, he's been the M with the least amount of onscreen appearances. Perhaps he could return once more after a new Bond has been picked.
Of course, that's really where the curiosity lies: Who will be the next James Bond? Numerous actors have had their names thrown into the conversation, from Henry Cavill to Tom Hardy to, most recently, Bridgerton breakout Regé-Jean Page. It seems unlikely someone will be cast until No Time to Die finally arrives and audiences can properly say goodbye to Craig's iteration of the character. In that sense, everyone will be waiting for a long time. So until then, the speculation will continue!
Source: GamesRadar+
