Caution: Major Spoilers Ahead For No Time To Die
Ana de Armas’ Cary Fukunaga’s biggest No Time To Die twist ensures the franchise will never be the same again, but one of the movie’s more minor characters could connect this outing with the next adventure in the series.
No Time To Die’s ending is the first in the franchise to kill off any iteration of James Bond, which could see the series lean towards the popular fan theory that the spy’s moniker is a codename ed down to the next 007. This means the next Bond movie could theoretically hold onto previously established cast such as Naomie Harris’ Moneypenny, Ralph Fiennes’ M or Ben Whishaw’s Q. However, it is a new arrival who is most likely to bridge the gap between the franchise outings.
While No Time To Die saw Jeffrey Wright break a franchise record with the most appearances as frequently-recast CIA agent Felix Leiter, it was a bittersweet victory. Leiter was killed off by the end of his appearance, effectively replaced by newcomer Ana De Armas’ Paloma. It seemed odd to some commentators that Fukunaga’s Bond cast a major star in such a small role, and some have speculated Paloma could replace Leiter as Bond’s CIA connection in future adventures. If this is true, then de Armas’ character can be a bridge between Craig’s time as 007 and the arrival of his replacement, allowing the series to keep the canon established throughout the actor’s tenure. This could also let the series bring back the aforementioned ing cast, or replace them but still reference their existence thanks to Paloma connecting the previous canon to new outings.
Depending on whether the next Bond is Daniel Kaluuya, Tom Hardy, or any of the many other options currently being considered, the ing cast of MI6 may need to be changed. Some actors might not work as well alongside a less deadpan Bond, while others may be too closely connected to Craig’s iteration of the character. Paloma, however, only just about had a chance to interact with Craig’s Bond, meaning her character could connect No Time To Die to Bond's 26th movie without the storyline being mired by her feelings about 007 being replaced.
If the franchise does acknowledge Craig’s Bond (and his ing) in the next outing, it could be easy for Bond 26 to become a grim affair. However, with Craig gone the 007 franchise needs to be fun again to compete with the more over-the-top, self-aware blockbuster offerings that are currently popular. As such, Paloma’s status as the new Bond’s CIA connect could give the franchise a canon connection to Craig’s time without her character having too much history with Craig’s 007. While it is fine for Bond 26 to address the death of Craig’s Bond, the No Time To Die follow-up must also work as a standalone adventure—something Paloma’s return can facilitate perfectly.
