The first trailer for No Time to Die sees the return of several characters from recent James Bond films, while also confirming it will serve as Daniel Craig's swan song as 007. There is also an array of exploding set pieces with at least one machine gun car, as tradition dictates. But none of those recycled elements promises more than a significant new one: Lashana Lynch's 00 Agent Nomi.
The 25th installment in the Bond franchise attracted attention not too long ago for a mix-up involving Lynch's character's role. Initial reports seemed to indicate Lynch would succeed Craig in his role as James Bond in the film when, in actuality, her character will appear alongside Craig's in No Time To Die. It appears that the two 00 agents will work as partners and, given that the film will be Craig's final turn as Bond, potentially set up Lynch's character to lead the franchise.
Nothing is set in stone, and there are no promises in that regard, but the trailer certainly makes the prospect all the more titillating. During the main trailer scene featuring Agent Nomi, she tells Bond the world is "moving on without [him]," and that if he doesn't stay in his lane she will put a bullet in his kneecap. The exchange indicates more of a rivalry than a partnership between the characters, and that Nomi is ready to stand on her own from the start.
There's definitely no lack of talent among the cast for Lynch to compete with when it comes to taking the spotlight, either. Many characters introduced previously in the series return, with Ralph Fiennes' M and Ben Wishaw's Q set to ally the 00 agents in their pursuit. Also returning is Christoph Waltz's Blofield, the villainous mastermind from Spectre who could steal the limelight all on his own. That is if he didn't have Lynch's Nomi to compete with.
Given the potential that Nomi could carry future films, it would be easy to pigeonhole her as a wide-eyed new recruit eager to learn from the experienced veteran. Instead, the film moves in a bolder direction and establishes her independence from the outset. Nomi even states that she has been a 00 Agent for two years and her experience in the action later in the trailer shows it.
At one point, Nomi nails a shot with her gun perfectly on a transformer, causing it to explode in a shower of sparks. She certainly won't be a character taking a back seat in the spinning machine gun car that is the Bond franchise, and the sense overall is that the film series is prepared to update itself along with today's societal changes. The widely publicized recruitment of Fleabag and Killing Eve creator, Phoebe Waller-Bridge made the screenwriter only the second woman to serve on the franchise's writing staff.
Waller-Bridge made it clear that she would freshen up the tone of the series without changing the core character of Bond himself, respecting the character's history while also offering insight into what shape Bond takes in the modern-day. Through Nomi, the film has the perfect opportunity to update the too-often misogynistic and white-centric tone of the films without completely overhauling the series.
Directed and co-written by Cary Fukunaga, No Time to Die stars Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas, Dali Benssalah, David Dencik, Lashana Lynch, Billy Magnussen and Rami Malek. It is scheduled for release on April 8, 2020.