In the upcoming James Bond film, No Time To Die, Christoph Waltz will return as key villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is in captivity while speaking to Bond in what seems to be an homage to Hannibal Lecter. No Time To Die is the 25th installment in the James Bond franchise. More notably, the film will mark the fifth and final appearance by Daniel Craig as the legendary MI6 agent. Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, Bond 25 will welcome back familiar faces such as Ralph Fiennes as M, Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, Ben Whishaw as Q, and Léa Seydoux as Dr. Madeleine Swann.
Ernst Stavro Blofeld is one of the most iconic Bond villains of all time. The criminal mastermind first appeared in From Russia with Love and has been in a total of seven Bond films. Most recently, Blofeld returned to the series in 2015’s Spectre, where it was revealed that he and Bond were adoptive brothers. Blofeld was born as Franz Oberhauser, the son of Hannes Oberhauser, who became Bond’s legal guardian when Bond was orphaned at age 11. Franz murdered his father because of Hannes’ favoritism towards Bond. This led to Franz staging his own death and taking on the name of Ernst Stavro Blofeld. At the end of Spectre, MI6 takes Blofeld into custody after Bond shoots down his helicopter.
In the trailer for No Time To Die, the appearance by Waltz’s Blofeld came as a surprise to many viewers since his return to the franchise started out as rumor. Before the trailer premiere, the confirmed villain of No Time To Die was Safin, played by Rami Malek. Safin has been described as a “supervillain” who “really gets under Bond’s skin,” according to producer Barbara Broccoli. However, Blofeld’s appearance now adds another element to the story. Safin may be the supervillain, but is Blofeld the real villain?
Blofeld Returns In No Time To Die - As A Hannibal Type Character
In the first No Time To Die trailer, Bond visits Blofeld in a maximum-security prison, where he’s being held captive in a cramped, containment cell. When Bond speaks to Blofeld in prison, it mirrors the interactions between Clarice Starling and Dr. Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs. Just as Hannibal shared important facts with Starling behind bars, Blofeld also revealed key information regarding Dr. Swann’s secret to Bond. Both Starling and Bond realize that in order to solve their respective cases, they need to rely on heinous criminals such as Hannibal and Blofeld for vital details.
How Blofeld Can Be No Time To Die’s REAL Villain
Blofeld may be behind bars, but he’s not powerless. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga revealed that Blofeld is not done with his mission despite his captivity. Fukunaga added, “what could he be doing from there and what nefarious, sadistic things does he have planned for James Bond and the rest of the world?” Malek may be the supervillain, but Blofeld has proven that he can be the mastermind behind previous bad guys. In Spectre, Blofeld claimed to be the reason as to why Vesper Lynd betrayed Bond and eventually died in Casino Royale. Blofeld also revealed that Le Chiffre, Dominic Greene, and Raoul Silva (the villains of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall, respectively) all worked with and were supported by the villainous group, SPECTRE. It would come as no surprise if Blofeld was using Safin as a pawn to destroy Bond.
If Blofeld truly is the real villain, then he’ll probably escape the prison and have a final confrontation with Bond. Escaping prison may be difficult, but not impossible. If Blofeld’s presence in No Time To Die mirrors Hannibal Lecter in The Silence of the Lambs, then he’ll use his genius and expertise to escape just like Dr. Lecter did. Plus, previous Bond villains have escaped captivity before. In Skyfall, Silva famously escaped captivity from MI6 in an attempt to attack and kill M. If Blofeld is a true mastermind, then he should have no problem escaping from prison.
Next: No Time To Die Trailer Backs New 007 Theory
- Bond 25 Release Date: 2021-10-08
