‘It was fine for me’: Two-time ‘James Bond’ director has no problem with the explosive ending of ‘No Time to Die’

Daniel Craig’s James Bond swansong No Time to Die is now two years old, and we still don’t have a sniff of news about his successor. Barbara Broccoli has said EON and MGM are going to take time getting it right, though given the ending of the last one, we can at least assume this will be a reboot.

That’s because – spoilers for a 2021 movie incoming – James Bond doesn’t make it to the credits. The superspy is finally put in a deathtrap even he can’t escape from, and after defeating the sinister Safin and saving his daughter, is killed by a missile strike. There’s no ambiguity here. Bond is, as they say, brown bread.

So, where do you go from here? GoldenEye and Casino Royale director Martin Campbell revealed to Express that he thinks it’s actually super easy, barely an inconvenience.

“To be honest, it was fine for me. He gets killed off, which is fine because when they do the next Bond, they’ll completely ignore the fact that he was killed off and Bond will keep going. It’s so simple. There’s no explanation required is there? Daniel Craig was Bond and now the next guy is alive. They’re not going to have a problem with that.”

After five movies about an older Bond dealing with his failing body and sense of obsolescence, we’re hoping EON go the other way when Bond returns. Perhaps a younger take on the hero is a smart way forward, with a story focused on how his skills let him seamlessly navigate a digital world rather than battle against it. Then again, Tom Cruise is doing exactly that in Mission: Impossible.

The ongoing strikes may slow down the Bond production line, though theoretically British (and Irish and Australian) actors can still work as their union isn’t on strike. Fingers crossed we get an unveiling and indication of direction soon, because while we’ve been assured “James Bond will return,” it sure is taking a while.