Many names have been bandied around as possible successors to James Bond 007 in recent weeks and months. Without a doubt, Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond was in the film No Time to Die. It is yet to be determined who will take over for Daniel Craig, but Lashana Lynch has already worn the 007 badges. Lynch’s Nomi replaced Mr Bond as a secret agent after his retirement, and Lynch co-starred with Craig in the last Bond film. For the film’s climax, Nomi and Bond would band together to take down the bad guy. As the primary Bond character undergoes a rebranding, Lynch has discussed her character’s prospects moving forward.
Lynch said she was happy the film was able to depict her culture so accurately. She was pleased that elements of both her Jamaican and British cultures have been represented in the film. The British actress admitted in a recent interview with Empire that she has as many questions as everybody else about what will become of Nomi. When asked about the picture he had agreed to appear in, Lynch remarked, “I don’t know whether they completely know where it’s going to go.” I have no idea what I’m talking about and it’s fascinating to speculate. When asked about her character Nomi, Lynch says that she sees in her a reflection of herself and other females who may not know how to express themselves. “She stands for shy British women like me who have a lot to say but don’t always know how to get it across,” Lynch said of the character. I felt that it was important for Nomi to experience it, too; she’s still learning. I didn’t want the first Bond girl to be a whitewashed Black lady. I needed to know that she was making an effort to be quick on her feet, but also experiencing some failure in doing so and not letting on.
Lynch recently featured in both No Time to Die and the historical epic The Woman King, in which she played the villainous Izogie. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the West African kingdom of Dahomey was served and defended by an all-female military regiment, and this video depicts the story of those women. General Nanisca, portrayed by Viola Davis, is tasked with developing the next generation of skilled soldiers to protect their culture and territory. John Boyega plays King Ghezo, Thuso Mbedu plays Nawi, and Sheila Atim plays Amenza in The Woman King.