No Time to Die’s road to release has been a bumpy and winding one, but we can finally look forward to seeing it by the end of the year. There's plenty to look forward to, including the casting of Captain Marvel’s Lashana Lynch as Nomi, an operative with the 007 designation. While this unfortunately led to some backlash, Lynch has moved past it and is celebrating what the future of the franchise holds. Of course, the No Time to Die star is also being reflective by looking back on the legacy of Black women who have played roles in the James Bond franchise over the years.
Lashana Lynch has been candid about the fact that her position within the Bond franchise has been met with a mixed reception. But many would probably agree that her introduction into the historic franchise marks a much-needed change. Even before signing on for No Time to Die, Lynch was well aware of the impact Black women have had on the films over the years. As the newest 007, the No Time to Die star shared thoughts on how Black women have shaped the franchise and her own experience within it:
When Halle Berry was in it, when Naomie was in it — who’s now a friend so I appreciate her even more — it just meant that I could relate to this very quintessentially English franchise and actually relate it to my life. I didn’t need to be a fighter or know how to handle a gun or anything like that to be able to relate to these women. They just felt like members of my family onscreen.
It's lovely to hear Lashana Lynch discuss seeing Oscar winner Halle Berry and Oscar nominee Naomie Harris in the Bond films. Berry and Harris appeared in mostly supporting capacities, yet Lynch’s designation in No Time to Die will be a “breaking-the-glass-ceiling” moment. Not many probably expected to see a Black woman carry the title of 007, but it definitely makes for a nice piece of cinematic history.
For the past few years, there’s been speculation regarding whether the next 007 would be a woman, a person of color or both, as is the case with Lashana Lynch. Despite Lynch being 007 though, the search for Daniel Craig’s James Bond replacement is still ongoing, despite the various rumors that have been floating around.
Lashana Lynch doesn't seem to be putting much thought into the James Bond search, though, as she has other things on her mind. She recently opened up to The Los Angeles Times about being the first female 007 during a moment of racial reckoning in the US and across much of the world. The Captain Marvel star said about being a representative of young Black women in the long-running franchise:
We [Black women] know how it feels to be mis- and underrepresented and we know how it feels to yearn for someone, anyone in the world to speak our truth for us when we feel like we don’t have a voice. And I’m hoping that my career and my choice in roles and me just being me, authentically, is shining a light on our power.
Luckily, Lashana Lynch will be able to channel that need for a strong Black female character into Bond newbie Nomi. As Lynch stated, she wants to bring authenticity to the roles she chooses and in the process, show the varying sides of Black women. Hopefully, Bond viewers will find a piece of themselves in Lynch when No Time to Die arrives in theaters on October 8.
