No Time to Die star, Lashana Lynch, recently addressed her potential return to the James Bond franchise. The latest entry in the long-running action-spy film series proved to be the last for the wildly popular Daniel Craig as the titular MI6 agent. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time to Die pits Bond against Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), while also tracking down the mysterious Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), who wishes to destroy Blofeld's secret organization, Spectre. Just prior to returning to duty after a five-year retirement, Bond encounters Nomi (Lynch) his replacement in MI6 as the new 007.
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After being severely delayed for various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic, No Time to Die finally premiered two years after its initial release date and received generally positive reviews, with many critics calling it a satisfying conclusion to Craig's 15-year-long reign as Bond. Lynch was praised for her role as the latest new addition to MI6. However, with No Time to Die being the final film in Craig's series of films, many have wondered if Lynch will return in the next franchise installment.
In a recent interview with Empire, Lynch discusses a possible return as Nomi in a future James Bond film. Although the actor is not entirely sure how it will be possible, Lynch claims she only signed on for No Time to Die and admits to not being informed about the future of the franchise. Read what Lynch said below:
"I signed up for one film and I don’t know if they entirely know where it’s gonna go. I genuinely don’t know anything, but it’s exciting to wonder!"
Why Lashana Lynch Should Return In Bond 26
Lynch's comments unfortunately do nothing to bolster the hope fans held for Nomi's return in a future film, or at least an outing in a James Bond spinoff project. Regardless, it would be hard to justify her return in a future series of films as the titular MI6 agent would need to be reintroduced once again due to Craig's Bond's death at the end of No Time to Die. For Lynch to return as Nomi in a rebooted Bond film, her character would also need to receive a similar reboot treatment. But like Judi Dench as M, there is precedence for Lynch to maintain her character but in a different continuity.
Throughout Bond's 70-year history, the film series has primarily been focused on Bond as it is his franchise. Each film introduces new characters, such as villains and "Bond Girls," with only tertiary characters returning. When Bond is rebooted once again, providing the agent a partner by the way of Nomi may add that fresh take on the formulaic franchise the films' producers are hoping for. With the end credits for No Time to Die announcing that "James Bond will return," perhaps several other characters and their actors can return as well.