In spite of earlier reports that he would play SPECTRE head Ernst Stavro Blofeld in SPECTRE, upcoming James Bond villain Christoph Waltz said in an interview with Collider.com that his character, officially named Oberhauser, will not be the head of the titular villainous organization.
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Created by original James Bond author Ian Fleming with Kevin McClory, Blofeld and SPECTRE previously appeared in six James Bond films from Eon Productions: From Russia with Love,Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Foreverand For Your Eyes Only. He also appears in Never Say Never Again, the 1983 remake ofThunderball, even though he apparently died in For Your Eyes Only.
Blofeld was the inspiration for the Austin Powers villain Dr. Evil.
In November 2013, MGM — who own the rights to the Bond films — settled with the estate of McClory, clearing the way to use Blofeld, SPECTRE and other concepts introduced in his screenplays.
Since the Blofeld rumors hit the Internet before it was known SPECTRE was the title of the film, most assumed that the “Oberhauser” name was either a cover, or that he would play a role in the story similar to that Blofeld had played in earlier Bond films.
When asked, Waltz simply said, “No. No. It’s something more interesting than that.”
