No Time to Die Star Lashana Lynch Says New Movie Fixes James Bond Problem With Women Characters

Movie fans are excited to (eventually) see No Time to Die, the 25th entry in the James Bond film franchise. The high-octane entry is expected to feature a proper send-off for long-running Bond actor Daniel Craig, while also introducing multiple other new characters into the fray. In a recent interview with Tech Radar, No Time to Die star Lashana Lynch spoke about joining the iconic franchise, and reassured that the film will bring an updated and feminist approach to the Bond franchise's history of female representation.

"I think with women's current agency, [it's] the way in which they view themselves and the way in which they portray themselves as being – with the women that I've been in contact with – completely authentic and completely knowing that they're enough," Lynch explained. "You see that oozing through the characters in this, both the female characters that have [already] existed within the franchise, and the brand new ones like myself. You just have this whole sense of empowerment that is really important to feel when you're going to work, but also important to show younger generations coming up."

"I knew who Nomi would be, because I had direct conversations with Barbara Broccoli and Cary about who they wanted her to be, but also who I wanted her to be," Lynch said of her character. "And alongside that I spoke with our writers and Phoebe Waller-Bridge who has done wonderfully in collaborating with us. And what I saw was a woman who had agency, who was powerful, who was committed, and who believed that she was the best person at MI6 [laughs]. She's a Black woman, she's forward-thinking. She's unique, and she has many unique selling points that carry her forward in her career. So when I saw her on the page, it was very beautifully written, and I didn't feel like I had to add anything too crazy. It was there for the taking, and I just did the best I could to fulfill what they'd already created."

In addition to Lynch's Nomi, No Time to Die will introduce Ana de Armas' Paloma, and also feature the return of Lea Seydoux's Madeleine. Seydoux previously echoed Lynch's sentiment earlier this year, arguing that the female characters in No Time to Die aren't just there to "please Bond's sexuality."

"We are not here to please Bond's sexuality," Seydoux explained. "What we forget is that James Bond is also a sexual object. He's totally a sexual object. He's one of the few, maybe one of the only, male characters to be sexualized. I think that women, they love to see Bond, no? To see his body. No? Don't you think?"

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