Why No Time to Die Star Ana de Armas Doesn’t Like The Term Bond Girl

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No Time to Die star Ana de Armas is pushing back against the term "Bond Girl," and for good reason. After production setbacks and countless delays, the 25th James Bond movie is finally about to arrive. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time to Die arrives in U.K. theaters today ahead of its U.S. bow in just one week. In addition to being a milestone for the franchise, it is also notable because it will be the final movie starring Daniel Craig as 007. According to the reviews, No Time to Die is a Bond movie unlike any other and a solid sendoff for Craig.

 

While much of the buzz surrounding the film has been about Craig's departure, No Time to Die is also turning heads with its female characters. Perhaps more than any other Bond movie, Fukunaga's installment is putting a greater focus on the women that surround the spy. In addition to returning players like Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), No Time to Die features exciting newcomers Nomi (Lashana Lynch) and Paloma (de Armas), both of whom are capable agents of their own.

 

Bond girls have been around for as long as the spy himself has, but only in recent years have their roles been scrutinized as audiences reassess Bond's womanizing ways. In fact, de Armas had some things to say about the term Bond girl in a feature from CNN. "I think this movie is 'Bond women,' not so much 'Bond girls,'" she asserted, pushing back against it. De Armas then elaborated, "They're highly skilled, they're powerful (and) they all show it in their own way. They're equals to Bond ... Times change, and I think that is reflected in the film."

 

 

It does look like No Time to Die offers more agency to its female characters, something Craig has supported wholeheartedly. The actor has spoken about his desire to subvert the typical James Bond tropes and even admitted he shows more skin than the women in No Time to Die. Even if Bond himself doesn't quite change his attitudes towards women, there's some genuine strength in the characters of No Time to Die. Perhaps it really is time the phrase "Bond girls" gets swapped around.

 

Despite this new feminist approach to the supporting characters, fans shouldn't expect a woman to take over the part of Bond in the future. There have been some calls for a gender-swapped iteration of Bond once Craig's tenure is over, but it hasn't received much support from those within the franchise. As both Craig and Bond producer Barbara Broccoli have said, it seems more worthwhile to create original, better characters for women than just twisting around the character's gender. That's certainly understandable, and if No Time to Die is any indication, the franchise will do much better in this department in the future.

 

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