No Time to Die continues an unfortunate James Bond villain trend that the franchise should have outgrown by now. The new film, which is finally set to release in the U.S. on October 8, 2021 after a string of delays, will wrap up Daniel Craig’s 007 arc with what looks to be a strong blend of old and new. However, the film’s antagonist, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), continues an enduring James Bond villain trait that the films shouldn’t be holding onto anymore.
Bond villains are as central to the franchise’s identity as 007 himself, and they’ve been that way since the very first James Bond film, Dr. No, got its name from its own lead bad guy. A hero is only as good as his foes, after all, and one of the most exciting things about each new Bond film is seeing who the superspy will be going up against. Like the theme song, the Aston Martin, the gadgets and the martinis, the villain of a Bond film is a key piece of its identity. And with a talented star like Rami Malek taking the antagonist’s stage in No Time to Die as Safin, the new film could be adding another classic villain to the franchise’s impressive resume.
However, for as interesting of a villain as Malek’s Safin looks to be, he still falls into the longstanding James Bond trap of its villains having facial disfigurations. Blofeld, Jaws, Alec Trevelyan, Raoul Silva, and many others can all claim hip to that same club – one that the franchise should have closed years ago. The trope of disability or disfigurement being used to signify evil in characters is tired, regressive, and overall harmful, and many fans have spoken out over the years, both on Bond and other major films, to urge studios to do away with the trend. Unfortunately, it seems to still be alive in well in No Time to Die, as Safin once again sports a notably disfigured face.
Aside from the negative real-world repercussions of portraying scarring in a negative light, it’s simply a lazy cliché to fall back on. Using culturalized tropes like disfigurement to establish a sense of villainy is a safety net used to dodge the burden of compelling character writing. James Bond movies have featured compelling villains in the past who didn’t require any such physical qualities to work on screen, and it’s unfortunate to see the franchise continue to go back to the well of stereotype in No Time to Die.
It’s entirely possible that Safin will be a strong, nuanced, riveting villain with plenty of effective writing around him. And there’s no doubt that Malek will turn in a powerful performance. But that’s all the more reason not to rely on the facial scarring trope yet again. If a character and actor can stand on their own, they don’t need the help of clichés to push them into understood villainy. No Time to Die may yet be a fantastic entry in the James Bond franchise, but it’s unfortunate that it’s tainted by a trend that should have died out years ago.
