Despite Lea Seydoux’s recent claim that she would consider returning as Madeleine Swann in Bond 26, No Time To Die already shows why this shouldn’t happen. From her first appearance in Spectre, where she is revealed to be the daughter of the villainous Mr. White, Madeleine Swann is a formidable and pivotal character. Out of all James Bond’s romantic partners, across 25 movies, only Tracy in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale can be said to have a similarly enduring emotional impact upon the legendary British spy.
The plot of No Time To Die is partially built upon James Bond learning about Madeleine Swann’s secret past, with his love for her and their daughter, Mathilde, helping to feed his need to bring down Lyutsifer Safin. As such, the story hinges upon his desire to keep Madeleine and Mathilde safe and inevitably leads to the crushing conclusion of the movie. After Safin infects him with the Heracles virus, which means that the slightest touch from Bond will kill the two people he loves most in the world, he chooses to sacrifice himself rather than live without them in his life.
A recent interview (via Deadline) suggests that Lea Seydoux is receptive to the idea of making a return in Bond 26 as Madeleine Swann. While confirming that no approach has been made by Bond’s producers, she highlights that her character is still alive, so “who’s to say that Madeleine won’t be back.” Despite this, there is a danger that her character returning would risk dishonoring Bond’s sacrificial death in No Time To Die while also causing potential narrative confusion in the new movie. As a result, the previous entry in the saga already definitively proved that Madeleine Swann should not return to the Bond franchise.
Why Madeleine Swann’s No Time To Die Ending Should Be Final
In many ways, No Time To Die is a fitting climax for the most emotional incarnation of James Bond that audiences have seen. More than this, it is also a fitting farewell to Madeleine Swann and her unique relationship with Bond. Throughout the James Bond franchise, numerous women sacrifice their lives either by becoming romantically involved or simply by helping him. The likes of Jill Masterson in Goldfinger, Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale, Agent Fields in Quantum of Solace, and even Judi Dench’s M in Skyfall all die due to their proximity to Bond. As such, Madeleine is the only woman for whom James Bond has ever been completely willing to make the same kind of sacrifice.
More than this, James Bond’s death in No Time To Die is derived from the need for Madeleine and Mathilde to be safe. If Madeleine is to reappear in Bond 26, then evidently, she and her daughter are likely to be in danger. While Madeleine’s past, not to mention her romantic involvement with Bond, means that an entirely safe existence is far from guaranteed, bringing her back may have the unwitting effect of undermining Bond’s sacrifice.
Madeleine Swann’s potential involvement in future James Bond movies has other connotations. This is because the return of a character so prominent and synonymous with Daniel Craig’s bleak Bond era would mean that Bond 26 is likely to be more of a soft reboot of the series than Bond’s death in No Time To Die implies. If that is the case then it is likely that other prominent characters like Ralph Fiennes’ M, and Ben Whishaw’s Q will return. With this in mind and given her importance in No Time To Die, the return of Lashana Lynch’s Nomi in Bond 26 seems logical. However, within a story that will introduce a new iteration of James Bond for the first time in nearly 20 years, it is likely to be confusing or even distracting to add another potential 007 to the narrative. All of this suggests that while it is good to know that Lea Seydoux retains so much affection for the Octopussy-like role of Madeleine Swann, there remain strong reasons why Madeleine and Mathilde should remain safe from harm during Bond 26.
