In No Time to Die, James Bond is arguably closer than ever to his allies. In all the James Bond movies, Agent 007 has always been an extremely independent, solitary person who doesn’t open himself up to anyone for a long period of time. However, out of all the different versions of James Bond, Daniel Craig’s Bond is undoubtedly the one who desires human connection the most. Throughout Craig’s tenure as James Bond, the character falls deeply in love with not just one, but two women.

Not only did Craig’s Bond show love for characters like Vesper Lynd and Madeleine Swann, but he also proved countless times that he cared for his coworkers. Even though Bond is often extremely rebellious and likes to do things his own way, he has great working relationships with characters like M, Moneypenny, and Q. Since No Time to Die was Daniel Craig’s last James Bond movie, it was great to see him interact with these characters in more personal ways. However, it is strange that James Bond did not use Q’s real name at any point in the movie.

James Bond Never Using Q’s Real Name In No Time To Die Makes Very Little Sense

James Bond & Q Work Closely Together In No Time To Die

The beginning of No Time to Die picks up not long after the ending of Spectre, and follows James and Madeleine celebrating their newfound freedom in Matera, Italy. However, once a seed is planted that Madeleine may be working for Spectre, he puts her on a train by herself and goes into retirement. This act early on in No Time to Die proves that James Bond still struggles to trust people. However, James Bond being in retirement for a large part of No Time to Die allows him to interact with his coworkers in different ways.

When Bond returns to London in No Time to Die, since he is not working for the British government, he tends to call his former coworkers by their real names. He freely uses the names Moneypenny, Nomi, and Mallory when speaking with his allies in No Time to Die. Referring to M as Mallory is especially surprising, as M is a higher rank than Bond and could easily take that as a form of disrespect. Despite how he refers to other characters, when Bond reunites with Q in No Time to Die, he doesn’t call him by his real name.

Q’s Most Likely Real Name Is Boothroyd

Q Actually Stands For “Quartermaster”

Despite not appearing in Craig’s first two outings as James Bond, Q is one of the most prominent characters in the entire franchise. Q has been played by four different actors across all the James Bond movies. Peter Burton played Q in Dr. No, the first James Bond film, but never reprised the role. Desmond Llewelyn portrayed Q from 1963 to 1999, appearing in an impressive 17 James Bond movies. John Cleese then took over as Q for Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan’s final James Bond film, before Ben Whishaw portrayed the character in Craig’s films.

Ben Whishaw portrayed a drastically different version of Q in Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die, as he was much younger than the previous actors. However, Whishaw was great in the role and his character helped James Bond several times throughout the three films. While Bond doesn’t use Q’s real name in No Time to Die, it is most likely that his name is Boothroyd. This is Q’s real name in Ian Flemming’s James Bond novels, and previous versions of Q are referred to as Boothroyd in other movies, such as Dr. No and The Spy Who Loved Me.

No Time To Die Showed More Of Q’s Personal Life, So Revealing His Name Would’ve Worked

No Tie To Die Featured Q’s Home

In No Time to Die, James Bond and Moneypenny surprise Q at his home. He hasn’t seen Bond in years and knows M wouldn’t approve, so Q is initially hesitant to get involved, but eventually ends up helping them. While Q was only ever seen in professional settings in previous James Bond movies, No Time to Die reveals more about the character’s personal life. No Time to Die showcases Q’s home, his two cats, and even reveals that he has a date on the way over.

Since Q’s personal life is showcased in No Time to Die, it would have made sense for Bond to call him by his real name. Even though they often bicker with each other, it is clear Bond and Q care deeply about one another. Therefore, it would have been a nice touch for Bond to refer to Q as Boothroyd. This could have happened when Bond was in his home, or when he was saying goodbye at the end of No Time to Die. However, despite many opportunities, Bond never calls Q by his real name in the movie.

Bond Never Using Q’s Real Name Supports The “James Bond Is A Code Name” Theory

Some Fans Believe James Bond Is Actually A Code Name

Even though it is disappointing that Bond doesn’t call Q by his real name in No Time to Die, it does help support one of the most popular James Bond theories. The code name theory suggests that James Bond is not an actual person, but rather a code name that is used by a succession of British agents. This theory would explain why so many different actors have played James Bond so differently over the years.

Craig’s first James Bond film, Casino Royale, reset the Bond series, but all the previous versions of 007 were supposedly all part of the same continuity. This was not very believable at times, as all the James Bond actors played the character differently. However, the code name theory suggests that even though they were playing the same British agent, they were not actually playing the same man.

Therefore, if the code name theory is indeed true, then it’s possible that James Bond is not actually calling any of the characters in No Time to Die by their real names. If James Bond isn’t a real name, then Mallory, Moneypenny, and Nomi are also probably not real names. If this is the case, then it is a lot more forgivable that James Bond never calls Q by his real name in No Time to Die.