The ending of No Time To Die takes on new weight in light of a major aspect of the James Bond franchise coming to an end. Since 1962, James Bond has been an undeniable aspect of the cinematic landscape. The MI:6 super spy has survived plenty of dangers, including real-world complications like recastings and societal change. However, the enduring qualities of the franchise were highlighted by the success of Daniel Craig’s take on James Bond. This came to a close with No Time To Die, which closed the book on that iteration of the character.

That conclusive ending now feels a lot more meaningful, given that the James Bond franchise is no longer with the family that helped shepherd it to the big screen in the first place. An unintended result of Amazon’s MGM Studios gaining complete creative control of the James Bond series is that No Time To Die now effectively serves as a final chapter of that former approach to the character. This gives the bittersweet finality of that movie a surprising new meaning in retrospect that perfectly fits the current circumstances surrounding the series.

James Bond’s Death In No Time To Die Was The End Of James Bond Movies As We’ve Known Them

No Time To Die Killed James Bond And Ended That Era Of The Franchise

The death of James Bond in No Time To Die‘s climax takes on additional meaning now that the creative control of the series has fully been taken over by Amazon’s MGM Studios, effectively making that storyline the end of an era for the franchise. No Time To Die‘s explosive conclusion revealed that Bond had been infected with ᴅᴇᴀᴅly nanobots. To spare his loved ones and the rest of the world at large, Bond elects to remain behind and allow himself to die. It’s a noble moment that gives the classic hero a genuinely heroic send-off that feels fittingly epic.

Although the James Bond movies had gone through many different changes over the years, the occasional recasting of characters was treated with little fanfare within the films. The Daniel Craig-led series of Bond films was effectively a modern approach with its own continuity, but they were still deeply indebted to the history of the franchise. While the credits for the film teased that James Bond would return, it was very ambiguous. No Time To Die felt like a fitting ending for the Craig iteration of Bond. It also takes on new meaning in light of recent events.

James Bond’s Broccoli Era Ending On 007’s Death Feels Like A Fitting End

Barbara Broccoli Is Stepping Away From The Franchise After No Time To Die

While Ian Flyming may have been the author who created James Bond, the cinematic version of the character would likely not exist without Albert “Cubby” Broccoli. Albert R. Broccoli was a co-founder of Eon Productions alongside Harry Saltzman and was a major producer on the early James Bond films like Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger. His daughter Barbara Broccoli has been a major fixture of the James Bond franchise in recent decades, playing a major role in the franchise’s direction. The family has been crucial to the success of the series.

While Michael G. Wilson and Broccoli will remain co-owners of the franchise, MGM Studios will now be the primary creative force behind the franchise. This gives Bond’s death at the end of No Time To Die more meaning, as it effectively signaled the final Bond story that Broccoli and her family were heavily involved in during the development process. Bond dies for a heroic cause but leaves behind an open world full of new possibilities thanks to Bond’s daughter and new agents like Nomi and Palmoa. It takes on new meaning in light of the franchise moving forward without Broccoli.

007’s Death Creates A Clean Slate For James Bond’s Amazon Era

Bond’s Death In No Time To Die Closes That Story Off And Sets Up A Fresh Beginning

The other retroactive meaning of James Bond’s death in No Time To Die is that, with Amazon’s MGM Studios now in complete control of the franchise, they will be working with a clean slate. No Time To Die effectively now serves as the finale for that era of the series. It’s a somewhat fitting goodbye, with the perpetually single Bond allowing himself to perish to save the woman he loves and the daughter they had together. It also means the series has an easy way to make a fresh start.

A new version of Bond could be tweaked in any number of ways, opening the door for more inventive reimaginings of the series. A full remake of the franchise from the roundup can allow it to avoid the story baggage of the Craig era. This allows the bittersweet ending of No Time To Die to speak to the greater legacy of the series as a whole. James Bond will likely go in a new direction under the stewardship of MGM Studios and Amazon, and can allow the death of Bond to be finalized in an effective way.