Sir Sam Mendes has admitted that he blames himself for the on-screen death of the iconic character James Bond in No Time To Die, which was set to be released in 2021. Despite not being involved in the newest film, the director, who was behind Skyfall and Spectre from the franchise, revealed that his decision to kill Judi Dench’s character M during Skyfall may have influenced this.
No Time To Die marked the final appearance of Daniel Craig as the 007 British spy, culminating in the character’s first death in 59 years of cinematic history. ‘You could say it was my fault because I killed M,’ the director says of his film Skyfall, in which Dame Judi’s spy chief dies, in an interview with the Daily Mail‘s Richard Eden.
That was the first time in the series that an actual character acknowledged not only dying, but also ageing in any way, rather than simply being replaced by another actor.
[Bond] talked a lot about ageing, M dying, and the changing of the guard in Skyfall.
Despite over 20 films in the franchise and multiple actors playing Bond, the spy had never been killed until the most recent film. No Time To Die opposed its title as James Bond was killed by bioterrorist Lyutsifer Safin, ending Daniel Craig’s 15-year tenure (played by Rami Malek).
It comes after the director stated that a woman directing the next film in the franchise would be “wonderful.” He told The Guardian that the director should ‘evolve’ as a new actor takes on the role. ‘I believe that the actor playing Bond will evolve, as will the director. It would be fantastic to see a woman direct Bond. ‘I think it’d be fantastic,’ he told the publication.
It is unknown who will direct the next James Bond film or who will play the titular spy. Stars such as Tom Hardy, Henry Cavill, and Rege-Jean Page are among the rumored candidates for the role, with much speculation on the latter.
Who do you think will play the role? Sound off in the comments.
